A Saiyan's Melody
by MysticVegito
Summary: Our hero is about to embark on a journey that will change the course of his life forever. He meets a certain little mermaid that saves his life on that fateful day. Now he faces new enemies. Will Goku be able to fight off this new threat? Come and find out.
1. Chapter 1

~A New Adventure Begins~

Many years ago, in the solitary peaks of Mount Paozu, there lived a single boy who possessed an incredible strength for his age. A boy found in the woods by an old hermit who became his adoptive grandfather and took care of him as his own. The hermit did not know of the boy's true name and thus he gave him a name that would be remembered for years to come. He named him Son Goku.

Goku was taught the art of fighting by his grandfather named Gohan, who was a great martial artist, but also a loving person. After his death, Goku was left alone to take care of himself every day, foraging for food and supplies to stay alive.

But one day, an unknown girl came into Goku's household in search for a particular artifact that would also affect Goku's destiny. The girl introduced herself as Bulma Briefs, who told Goku that she was in search of the mystical orbs named Dragon balls. She explained to him that whoever has all 7 orbs would be able to summon a giant dragon who will grant the owner any wish he so desires.

After that day, Goku went on a journey with Bulma to find the Dragon balls. Along the way, he also met a turtle hermit named Muten Roshi, who in his time was the strongest human alive. Goku asked him to train him, but after Goku completed a task to bring him a beautiful woman (who happens to be Launch), Roshi accepts Goku as his pupil. The reason was, despite the task, Goku had a lot of potential, otherwise he wouldn't accept him so easily. The other reason was that he was the grandson of Gohan, who was also Roshi's pupil.

The second pupil that joined the Turtle school was a travelling monk named Krillin, who was at first Goku's rival and soon became his best friend. Goku and Krillin underwent severe training sessions under Master Roshi's watchful eye, so that they can become strong fighters. But, something is about to happen that will change Goku's life forever.

One night, after yet another day of severe training and being denied a dinner by his teacher for failing to bring the stone with the Turtle emblem to him (courtecy of Krillin, who tricked him and took the stone from him), Goku decided to take a boat and go fishing to sate his hunger.

Unknown to Goku, in his vicinity, there was a certain little mermaid who was admiring the fireworks that were coming from the nearby town. It also caught Goku's attention, but he quickly returned to fishing, for his hunger was starting to consume him. But then, the mermaid started to sing.

"The seven colored wind,  
blows across the long plateau.  
At the peak,  
A nostalgic song was playing.  
And before the dawn,  
I could hear a melody.  
And I knew,  
That this song,  
Would only bring joy and love."

Her singing is what really caught Goku's attention.

"Wow, what a beautiful voice. But it sounds like it's coming from around here somewhere". Goku said innocently as he looked around left and right to find the source of the singing.

"Did someone say 'beautiful'?" The mermaid smiled gently at that nice comment. Goku heard a voice this time, coming from the left side of his boat and he saw a girl in the water.

"Hey! Were you the one who was singing just now?" Goku smiled brightly as he called out to the unknown person in the water, waving his hand in the air. The little mermaid was a slightly hesitant to approach the boy, since this is the first time she is making contact with a human, but she saw a face filled with joy and innocence, so she slowly approached him until she was close to his boat.

"Umm, yes?" The mermaid answered hesitantly.

"Hmm, why are you so thin and scrawny?" He asked curiously before he smiled brightly. "Oh i get it, you must a girl, are you?"

"Of course i'm a girl, don't be silly." The mermaid giggled cutely.

"Your singing is amazing. But what are you doing all the way out here in the middle of the night? Do you need help to get to the shore?" Goku asked her with typical innocent look on his face. She now felt considerably better and she giggled a bit from Goku's question.

"No thanks, I'll be alright. See?" She smiled brightly before she dived in the water before she came back to him.

"Oh wow, you are a mermaid! I wish I could breathe underwater like you, it would be so awesome!" Goku said excitedly. He remembered that he brought a mermaid one time to Master Roshi during his task to bring him a beautiful woman, but it only ended with Roshi getting slapped in the face. That's why Goku could tell that this little girl was a mermaid.

The little mermaid had started to like this young boy. Even as far as to fall in love with him.

"It's so nice to meet you. My name is Goku. What is your name?" Goku smiled brightly.

The mermaid smiled in turn. "My name is…"

But before she could give Goku an answer, suddenly, a tidal wave was fast approaching and was about to hit him full force. Normally, it would be easy for Goku to withstand the force of the impact, but due to his hunger and fatigue of today's training, he received the full brunt of the wave and was sent unconscious in the depths of the sea.

Fortunately, the little mermaid was close and saved Goku, bringing him to the shore before he could drown. After she saved him, she noticed that he was in a critical state. The impact of the wave was more forceful then she thought. She had no choice but to use her pink pearl to save Goku's life, so that he may live on. After she placed the pearl in his chest, it started to glow and Goku felt better, now sleeping like nothing had happened. The little mermaid couldn't help but giggle cutely at his now sleeping form.

" _It was in that moment... when i fell in love for the first time._ "

She developed a relationship during her conversation with Goku, the memory that she will cherish for years to come. This mermaid is a princess of her kingdom under the sea. She is named Lucia Nanami.

* * *

Seven years have passed since that fateful night and Lucia had always dreamed of going in the land again to find the boy she fell in love with. The time has come to do it, not only to find Goku, but also to find the pearl that she gave to him. But only she is aware of this, as the others in her kingdom were oblivious to the whereabouts of her pearl.

"Princess Lucia, where are you going?" One of the mermaid servants asked curiously.

"It's time to go to the surface and find my pearl." Lucia smiled.

"You are going all alone?" The second servant asked.

"You need to at least take your guardian with you" The third servant suggested. This guardian is named Hippo, a talking penguin who serves as the protector and guide to not just Lucia, but all other mermaids. He was wearing a sailor hat and shirt, along with blue pants.

"Don't worry, my ladies. I will protect Miss Lucia from whatever danger lurks in the land. And no matter what, I will.."

"Umm Hippo, the princess has already left." She said to the penguin as a matter-of-factly. Hippo and the mermaid servants sweat-dropped because she so casually left. Hippo bid his farewells and immediately darted to Lucia

"Miss Lucia, wait up!" Hippo called out to her as he swam fast to catch up with her.

Soon after, Lucia and Hippo had reached the surface. Lucia was sitting on a small boulder in the shore, hidden from prying eyes as she watched the sunrise on the horizon.

"It's beautiful, isn't it Hippo?" Lucia smiled at the wonderful sight before her.

"Miss Lucia, you need to turn in a human form, otherwise someone might see you." Hippo warned. Even though he can be overprotective at times, the little guardian means well.

"Oh right". Lucia smiled. And with that, Lucia's tail is slowly transforming into legs, signifying that Lucia is assuming her human disguise. Then she stood up.

"Here I come, world!" she shouted to the horizon excitedly.

"Miss Lucia, you do realize you're naked?" Hippo pointed out, which draw Lucia's attention. "Be quiet, or else you will draw unwanted attention on yourself."

But Lucia merely frowned as she punched Hippo in the head.

"Thanks for pointing it out, you pervert!" Lucia frowned in frustration.

"Why am i a pervert? You're the one standing around naked like you were just born!" Hippo said angrily as he rubbed his throbbing head.

"I don't care, turn around and don't look!" Lucia said angrily, her face blushing red as she covered her naked breasts and vagina.

"Ugh, whatever." Hippo groaned slightly as he turned around and closed his eyes. Luckily, their home in the human world was close by, so Lucia can avoid any other humans before she could dress up, especially this early in the morning.

* * *

Later that day, Lucia was set to reside in a Pearl Hotel in South City, where she would be with Madame Taki, the owner of the Hotel and Nicole, the manager and a false sister of Lucia while on land. After Lucia was introduced with the hotel, Nicole had given Lucia chores to do around the hotel all day, taking the luggage, washing dishes, washing clothes and the rest of the chores around the hotel.

Finally, after all the work, Nicole had given Lucia a break and she decided to have a nice warm bath after a hard day.

"Ahh, this is heaven." She smiled brightly as she added more foam in the tub.

"Miss Lucia!" Hippo suddenly shouted, scaring Lucia and splashing him with water. "What's the big deal?! I was about to tell you that I found something on my pearl radar!" he yelled angrily, having tick marks on his head. Lucia felt bad that she angered her little guardian like that, at least this time.

"I'm sorry Hippo. Allow me to repay you with a song." Lucia smiled.

"WHAT?!" Hippo exclaimed nervously.

" **My dear Hippo, you are so nice** ". What she thought was a nice song was actually horrible to say the least. The entire hotel was shaking from the screeching noise and the earth was trembling. Hippo was more annoyed by Lucia's singing then calmed.

"How many times do I have to tell you that without your pearl, your singing becomes very unstable. Do i have to repeat myself every time?!" He exclaimed in frustration.

"You don't have to be so grumpy." Lucia apologized before she sweat dropped, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Are you sure that your pearl radar can be trusted?" She asked in doubt.

"What? My radar never failed me and this is the strongest signal!" The radar showed a signal of the pearl in the vicinity of the city, but it was night time and it was too dangerous to look after it now, so he postponed the search for tomorrow. Then Hippo continued to lecture Lucia, despite having repeated himself many times before.

"The pearls are the most important items that every mermaid princess needs to protect her kingdom. And aside from that, you need it to become an adult mermaid." Hippo said strictly.

"You are right, Hippo." Lucia said groggily, starting to be a little sleepy.

"Yes, and if we don't find the pearl, you may never be an adult mermaid and…" Hippo stopped when he was aware that Lucia wasn't paying attention anymore, who was falling asleep in the water ."What are you doing? No sleeping in the bath tub!" He shouted.

Later that night, Hippo and Nicole discussed in private about Lucia herself, in a dark room where only the moonlight illuminated their surroundings.

"Are you sure we shouldn't tell Lucia the truth? That her pearl is needed to restore the balance in the sea world." Hippo asked as he looked through the window.

"No, she is too young to bear such a burden. We will refrain from telling her for now, i want her to enjoy herself." Nicole said in serious voice. Hippo nodded in the agreement. Even though he wants Lucia to be a responsible and mature princess, he too didn't want to overburden Lucia with such things. At least not yet.

Meanwhile, Lucia was lying in her bed sideways, daydreaming about Goku and their very first encounter seven years ago, simply excited to meet him again after all this time. But soon enough, her eyelids were heavy as she was slowly drifting into a deep slumber.

* * *

The next morning, she was walking along the beach away from the city, smiling brightly as she watched another sunrise, wearing red boots, blue shorts and red-white shirt with star in the center. But while she was taking in the beautiful scenery, she heard someone grunting from the distance. With curiosity overtaking her, she went to see who it was.

She gasped inaudibly as she saw a very familiar figure with an innocent expression on her face. The young man was tall, muscular and had a spiky black hair. She lingered a little more to find out if he was the one she fell in love with. The man was jumping around, doing flips and dodges, punches and kicks, almost as if he was fighting an invisible enemy.

Then the young man stopped after he sensed someone was watching him. When he looked around, trying to find the source of the energy, he found a cute blonde girl not far from him. He started to slowly approach her, while panting a little bit from all that training.

"Oh, hi. What brings you here?" Goku smiled as he stood in front of the girl.

When she saw him up close, he had that same hairstyle and same smile like that boy all those years ago. She knew that the boy was him. He was Goku. She blushed at how much he changed. He has gotten more handsome and more muscular from all those years of training.

"Umm, hi." Lucia said hesitantly. "Have we… met before? Umm…"

Goku merely looked at the girl with innocent, but confused expression, blinking a few times. He had never met this girl before, though she did look like a nice person.

"Uhh, no, I don't think so." Goku said. But nevertheless he decided to introduce himself, so that he wouldn't appear to be rude in front of a girl, as taught by his grandpa that he should be as polite as possible in front of a girl.

"Well, my name is Goku. What is your name?" he smiled.

"Oh, my name is… Lucia. Lucia Nanami." she answered. She was kinda disappointed that he couldn't recognize her, but then again she couldn't blame him. Her human form is a lot different than her mermaid form. She has shorter hair then two long pigtails with dirty blonde color and brown-orange eyes instead of crystal blue eyes.

"Lucia. It's nice to meet you Lucia." Goku smiled. Lucia blushed a bit, looking down shyly. "Say, what are you doing all the way out here all alone? The city is pretty far away." he asked curiously.

"Well, I like to come early in the morning to watch the sunrise." Lucia smiled as she looked towards the sea, though still having a blush on her face.

"Yeah, me too. That's why I love to come here and train every day, it's really peaceful." Goku smiled as he too looked towards the sea. He had another reason for training at the beach. That night was etched in his memory. The night that the mermaid saved him and since then, he wanted to meet her again. Even though he is clueless when it comes to girls, since the only girls that he knows are Bulma and Launch, he wasn't completely dense as he felt something in his heart that day that wouldn't go away even after all these years. Though what it is exactly, he doesn't know, at least not yet.

Then Goku noticed that Lucia's face was little red.

"Hmm, what's wrong Lucia?" He asked curiously, thinking that she might be sick or something.

"Nothing. It's nothing." Lucia said nervously, trying to hide the blush, but her face was redder then before. This worried Goku a bit.

"Are you sure? Your face is all red." Goku said innocently, leaning closer to Lucia's face to check on her, which made Lucia blush even more. Her face was as red as a tomato and her heart was beating at a fast rate.

"Gosh Lucia, are you sick?" He asked as he placed his hand on Lucia's forehead. Her head was spinning with emotions at the moment and her entire body was fuming. She didn't know what to do at the moment.

"I'm not sick! I'm going!" Lucia screamed with embarrassment, running back to the hotel so that she may calm down and gather her thoughts.

" _Oh, how embarrassing._ " Lucia thought as she was running away from him, leaving Goku completely confused at what just happened. After a few seconds of confusion, he pulled out a pendant under his shirt which contained a pink pearl.

" _Could she be that girl? She does look familiar._ " He thought about Lucia and the mermaid from his childhood, trying to find the comparison, but to no avail.

"Nah, that's impossible. She is a human and that girl was a mermaid." Goku chuckled lightheartedly, rubbing his head before he put the pendant back in his shirt and turning around. "Alright then, back to training." He smirked as he jumped in the air.

Goku had journeyed throughout the world after he got saved by the mermaid, fighting many strong opponents. His greatest challenge was an evil being named King Piccolo. A sinister villain of unfathomable power, he nearly killed Goku during their fight, until little Goku mustered all of his strength into a powerful punch that penetrated through his chest and killed him. But before he died, he preserved his essence in an egg that would soon rise in a few years, avenging his death and completing King Piccolo's retribution.

He was trained by the guardian of the earth, Kami and his assistant, Mr. Popo, to prepare him for the battle against his son, Piccolo Jr. in 3 years time. After completing his training, he had several months left until he faces Piccolo, so he traveled to South City, where he would continue his training and be fully prepared for the battle to come. Though Mount Paozu was his original intention, Bulma invited him to come to South City for reasons he is yet to find out.

But, during his exciting adventures, he always wanted to meet that cute little mermaid again. He had no idea why though, but it's simply something he wished for from time to time.

* * *

Later that day, Lucia was enrolled in the Yasumoto high school, where she would study besides doing all the work at the hotel, and meet new friends along the way. When she made her way to the school board, she was surprised to see Goku standing there as well. Her face was filled with joy.

Goku was pondering about being scolded by Bulma while looking at the school board. That day was certainly not forgotten.

" _Goku, since you have been raised in the woods, I will enroll you in high school, so that you may have a decent education and not being a brainless oaf all the time." Bulma said. In truth, Goku's place is in elementary and not high school, but considering his age, high school is the only way to go. Besides, with her connections, it shouldn't be a problem._

 _Goku wasn't thrilled at all by the news as he always thought schools are boring, he thought Master Roshi's education was enough for him._

 _"But why do I have to go? It sounds so boring. I wanna train and get stronger." Goku complained to Bulma childishly._

" _No buts, Goku! You couldn't even tell a boy from a girl without touching their private areas. You are going to school and that's final!" She yelled at Goku furiously. He knew there was no way to get out of this mess, so he decided to get along with it while he was in South City._

And the school uniform didn't help things either.

" _Aw man, I hate wearing this stupid thing. Why can't I wear my normal clothes_?" Goku thought to himself as he loosened the collar buttons a bit. Everyone at school was obliged to wear school uniforms, much to Goku's annoyance. The boys had to wear white shirt and blue pants, while the girls wear red and pink shirt with red skirt.

But then a familiar voice broke Goku out of his inward whining.

"Goku, hi!" Lucia said cheerfully as she waved her hand above her head to greet Goku. Goku smiled brightly when he saw her.

"Oh hey Lucia, it's great to see you again. Are you going in the same school?" Goku asked cheerfully.

"Yes. I'm trying to see which class I am, but I can't see." She complained childishly as she couldn't see the school board from the crowd, which made Goku snicker a bit.

"Don't worry, ill check it out for you." Goku tried to find Lucia's name on the board and it made him happy to know that Lucia will be attending in the same class as him. At least he will have one familiar face entering the class with him before he gets the chance to meet with the others.

"Great, looks like we will be attending classes together." Goku smiled. "Come on, let's go and find our classroom, i don't wanna be scolded on a first day." Goku said nervously, though mostly because of Bulma. Lucia couldn't help but giggle a little from his nervous expression.

"Sure thing." Lucia nodded as she followed Goku. While Goku and Lucia were walking along the hallway, trying to find a classroom, a certain blue-haired girl watched them with great interest.

There was a lot of gossip in the hallways, about Goku and Lucia walking together, thinking they are a couple.

" _So, Goku is popular here._ " Lucia thought as she looked left and right at the loving faces from the girls around them. Ever since Goku enrolled in school, he was welcomed by a lot of girls, who offered him to take a tour with them around the school or even asking him on a date. But he kindly refused them, telling them that he had a lot to do, even though the only thing he does is train.

After they have found the classroom, they have found two empty seats next to the window. Goku sat on one of those desks, while Lucia sat in front of him. She had a shade of red blush the entire time she was with Goku. He thought it was a normal thing with her, because she seemed just fine to him.

"Goku, what were you doing this morning all alone at the beach? You looked like you were fighting someone." Lucia asked curiously.

"You have never seen someone training before, have you?" He smiled.

Lucia shook her head. She never had physical training or in martial arts her whole life. Her kingdom never adopted that custom and from what she learned, the mermaid's method of fighting is with their pearls. All the more reason to retrieve it from Goku, but without revealing her true identity. If she did, then she would risk of being reduced to a sea foam.

"Well, it's basically a physical workout which makes you stronger and more experienced fighter. What I was doing was that I imagined an opponent in front of me and then I tried to make it as realistic as possible. Dodging, countering, punching and kicking and so on." Goku explained.

Lucia was amazed that Goku had grown into a strong fighter. Though she didn't see the full extent of Goku's abilities, she had seen him briefly how he trained before being interrupted.

"Can I come and see you train sometimes?" Lucia asked hesitantly, looking away with red blush. Goku still had no idea why is she blushing so often, but he shrugged it off as girl stuff.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Goku smiled, thinking it was no big deal if she came along. Lucia smiled brightly in immense happiness, glad that things are turning out great so far. She might get closer to him sooner than she thought.

But then Goku's stomach started to growl, which made Lucia giggle a bit. Goku grinned sheepishly in turn, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Sorry, I'm gonna go get something to eat. See ya later." Goku smiled, waving goodbye as he was standing up from the table. Then Goku left to eat at the cafeteria, possibly to eat a large quantity of food. After he left, a blue-haired girl approached Lucia.

"Hi, are you Lucia Nanami?" The unknown girl smiled. Lucia had no idea who the girl was, but she didn't want to be rude, so she gave her a simple nod. "My name is Hanon Hosho, but you can call me Hanon. Can i call you Lucia?" The girl now known as Hanon smiled. She appeared as a nice girl, so she decided to continue the conversation with her.

"Is that guy your boyfriend? He is so handsome." Hanon smiled.

"No, he is not!" she screamed in a high-pitch, blushing heavily. Though at the back of her mind, she wants Goku to be her boyfriend more than anything.

"Hey, how about I show you a few tips on how to get a boy? Let's go to town after school." Hanon smiled, with Lucia happily obliging as she nodded excitedly.

Lucia and Hanon got to know each other well as they were visiting clothes stores, trying out various outfits and also trying out jewelries of every sort. Only when she saw Hippo that she left Hanon alone, trying to hide the penguin from her, otherwise the ignorant penguin would have blown his cover, which could cause some problems between them.

After Lucia returned home, she told Hippo about going to watch Goku train at his usual training spot on the beach, which worried Hippo a lot.

"But Miss Lucia, you know if the water touches you, you will turn into a mermaid. He will see your true form." Hippo warned.

"Don't worry, Hippo, i won't stand near the water. If it will make you feel better, you can come along too." Lucia smiled.

"No, I need to find your pearl before someone else does." Hippo said in serious voice, realizing the severity of the situation if anyone else found the pearl. It is a rather powerful object which, in wrong hands, could potentially destroy an entire city.

"Pleeease Hippo. And don't say anything to Nicole, okay?" Lucia pleaded to Hippo to come along. He couldn't resist her cute plea, so in the end he relented and reluctantly tagged along with her.

* * *

The next day, Lucia and Hippo met with Goku in front of the Pearl Hotel. Hanon also decided to come with Lucia. As for Lucia, she was so happy that she will spend time with Goku after all these years.

"Hi Goku!" Lucia called for him happily.

"Hey there Lucia. Ready to go?" Goku said cheerfully. He was wearing his usual training outfit which consisted of orange pants and shirt with Turtle emblem on his back and left side of chest, along with black-blue boots, black sash and undershirt and blue wristbands. Lucia got a blush from seeing him like that. The outfit made him more muscular and cuter then he already is.

"Yeah I am. Let's go." Lucia smiled. Then Hanon approached Goku to introduce herself.

"So, you must be Goku I heard about. My name is Hanon Hosho, but you can call me Hanon." She smiled, extending her hand to shake with Goku's. Goku was glad Lucia made friends in school and any friend of hers is a friend of Goku's.

"It's great to meet you Hanon." Goku smiled cheerfully, shaking Hanon's hand in greetings. Then Goku noticed something behind Lucia.

"Umm Lucia, what is that behind you?" He asked curiously as he pointed at a small animal behind her.

"Oh that's my penguin pet, Hippo. I wanted to bring him along too, if that's okay." Lucia smiled.

"Yeah, of course." Goku smiled before he turned around. "Well, let's go."

Goku, Lucia, Hanon and Hippo started to walk to Goku's usual training spot away from the city. They were passing by the surfing tournament that was held nearby. Lucia suggested that he should compete, but he gently said no, implying that he was a fighter, not a surfer.

All the while, Hippo had a strong reading on the pearl radar. It always said that the pearl was close, but he couldn't tell where exactly. Then moments later, Goku sensed a malicious energy in the sea not far from the surfers. His expression was serious for a moment, which worried Hanon and Lucia a little.

"What is it Goku?" Lucia asked.

"Something's not right." Goku said seriously. Then almost on cue, the waves consumed the unknown surfer in the distance and storm clouds started to appear. He was right, there was someone in the water who is causing all this.

"Listen girls, I need you to stay here, this could be dangerous. I'll be right back." Goku said seriously, while also being concerned for the well-being of the girls. Then he ran fast to the beach and jumped in the water.

Lucia could also see that there was a powerful villain stirring up trouble and she decided to help Goku, even though she didn't had the pearl, leaving Hanon and Hippo alone.

After Goku jumped in the water, he saw ripples of water in the deeps and swam there to check it out. Then he saw a woman. She had mermaid's tail, but her face had a menacing grin.

" _Who is that? She doesn't look like a mermaid._ " Goku asked himself inwardly as he frowned seriously. Even though he couldn't breathe underwater, his training helped him to hold his breath for an extended period of time.

"A human coming to the rescue? How cute, but you will die with him." The unknown assailant gestured at the surfer in her custody. He has orange hair and red-black surfer suit. Goku had to save him before he could drown. Goku assumed his fighting pose and was about to charge at her, but as the witch was about to unleash her attack, a pink mermaid appeared from his left side.

Goku gasped inwardly. The mermaid had the same pigtails and crystal blue eyes like that little mermaid all those years ago. It was her. He finally found her. But he couldn't reunite with her just yet, he had to deal with the evil menace in front of him.

"Ahh, a mermaid princess. I have waited a long time to find you. Now I can take you to my master, along with your pearl!" Then she unleashed her water blasts in shape of a dragon to attack Lucia.

As for Goku, he had enough. He sensed that she wasn't that strong, so he pulled out his power pole so that he could knock her out and save the mermaid. But just when he was about to attack her, a pink glow was emanating underneath his shirt.

 _"What in the world?"_ Goku thought as he pulled out a pendant from his shirt. " _That's never happened before._ " Then he looked at the mermaid " _She needs her pearl back, that's why it glows_." Goku thought. He immediately broke the chain around his neck and threw the pendant to the mermaid, instantly taking form of a microphone and Lucia started to assume her Idol Form.

This was her first time assuming the Idol Form. After her transformation was complete, she couldn't believe how much she changed, both in power and in appearance, her outfit consisting of pink dress with short skirt, lacy pink gloves and boots. And she really liked the style of her outfit very much.

" _Sing, little mermaid. Sing the song of joy"_. The unknown voice suddenly spoke to her. Then the music of Legend of the Mermaid started, which she remembered from her childhood. Then she closed her eyes, smiling as she started to sing the lyrics:

"The seven colored wind  
blows across the long plateau.  
At the peak  
A nostalgic song was playing.  
And before the dawn  
I could hear a melody.  
And I knew  
That this song,  
Would only bring joy and love."

The evil witch started to attack her again, but her blasts were nullified by the power that was emanating from Lucia. Goku was amazed that the mermaid had that kind of power, to be unfazed by that attack. What surprised him is that the song did not affect him at all, while it brought severe pain to the witch.

"Look to the east,  
What do you see?  
Little birds flying far away.  
They,  
Are flying off to a place,  
Full of love,  
It's like a treasure."

As Lucia continued her singing, the pain was more severe to the witch by the minute. Goku was starting to run out of breath, but he had to hold on a little more so that he can see the fight to the end. But then, he remembered about that surfer.

" _Oh no! If I don't save him, he will drown. Guess I'll have to return later._ " Goku thought.

Then he swam to the surfer as fast as he could, pulling him to the surface and quickly bringing him to the shore. The lifeguards were nearby, so Goku knew he will be fine. And he could still sense his energy, so he sighed with relief that he was still alive.

" _Alright, he is safe. Now to get back to the mermaid, she might need my help._ " Goku thought. Apart from that, he had finally found her after seven years and he will not miss this precious opportunity.

"The seven seas have always been my paradise.  
A place where all the love in my heart is realized.  
Even after,  
a night in the storm,  
The joy in my heart,  
can always be reborn.  
Listen to the melody of seven lands.  
It will always be here till the very end.  
Even if no one remembers this,  
I won't forget.  
Legend of the sea."

"Loving power of the mermaids." Lucia pointed at a witch, signifying her finishing move.

"How about an encore?" Lucia said with a wink.

"This isn't over, mermaid!" The witch growled at this humiliating defeat before she disappeared.

"So, this is the power of the princess." Lucia looked at her microphone, still surprised at the power she received after activating it. She then reverted to her mermaid form now that the fight was over. Just when Lucia was about to head back to her friends, Goku caught up with her, waving with both of his hands with a goofy smile on his face while holding his breath at the same time.

* * *

Goku and Lucia in her mermaid form went to the beach where Goku was training, sitting on a rock far from the shore, so that Lucia could maintain her mermaid form.

"Are you alright? Did she hurt you?" Goku asked in slight concern.

"No, my dear Goku, i'll be fine. Thank you for helping me." Lucia answered, with tears spreading across her face. She wanted to see Goku for a long time and this was her chance to express her joy.

"It was nothing, really." He smiled bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. "But I can't believe I have finally found you. I can't thank you enough for saving my life all those years ago." He smiled. But Goku was caught off guard as the mermaid couldn't hold back the sobbing and hugged him, tears of joy flowing down her cheeks. Moments later, Goku hugged her to soothe her crying.

"I missed you so much, Goku." Lucia said, sniffing a bit out of happiness.

"Hey hey, it's okay. I missed you too." Goku said with childish innocence, in a soothing voice that calmed Lucia a bit.

From the beach, Hanon and Hippo have watched the whole scene unfold.

"Oh no, she is falling in love with a human. This is bad!" he shouted nervously.

"Yes, we need to keep a close eye on those two, don't we?" Hanon said while holding a blue winged seashell pendant in her hand. Lucia had the same one, but hers was pink. Hippo was surprised to find out that Hanon was a mermaid princess as well. But right now his only concern was Lucia. His greatest fear was that she will admit to Goku that she was a mermaid that saved him while in human form and risk turning into a sea foam.

But, today is a joyous day for both Goku and Lucia as their greatest journey of their lives is about to begin.


	2. Chapter 2

~New Enemies~

After Lucia's reunion with Goku as a mermaid, she went back to the hotel, because it was starting to get dark. The reunion was overly brief, much to the couple's disappointment, but even though Goku means a world to Lucia, she couldn't afford to express all of her feelings, because she knew of the risks for doing so. For now, all she could do was to give subtle hints to the young warrior and hope that they would get through to his thick skull and realize that Lucia from school and the mermaid are one and the same. After she returned to the hotel, she was told of the news that also surprised Hippo as well.

"What? Hanon is a mermaid princess too?" Lucia asked in surprise.

"That's right. Even I was surprised when i saw her blue seashell pendant" Hippo said to Lucia.

"You mean like mine?" Lucia asked curiously, with Hippo silently nodding in agreement.

Nicole knew this would happen sooner or later, even though she preferred it to be later. But now she has no choice. Due to all the events that are happening beneath the sea, the time is now.

"Lucia. I refrained from telling you this, but it seems that its time that you must know." Nicole said seriously.

"I must know what?" Lucia asked curiously. Nicole sighed slightly before she started speaking.

"An unknown chain of events have been recently occurring beneath the sea, it was just one disaster after another. And i bet they have something to do with the other mermaid kingdoms, which could explain Hanon's arrival on land." Nicole said.

"What do you mean?" Lucia said in slight confusion, though she was carefully listening to what Nicole had to say.

"I am not certain, but at any rate, you, Hanon and other mermaid princesses need to unite, so that you may summon the sea goddess, Aqua Regina and restore the balance to the sea world." Nicole explained.

"We need to summon… Aqua Regina?" Lucia asked curiously. She heard the stories about the goddess in her kingdom before, but she was never given such a task at such a young age. Even Nicole knew this, but the threats in the sea are needed to be dealt with as soon as possible, before they become too much to handle.

* * *

The next day, Lucia was heading to the school as usual to attend the classes. Goku was entering the school grounds as soon as Lucia entered the building, trying to reach the class on time. But then he was stopped by an orange-haired boy.

"Hi. You are Goku, are you not?" the boy asked. Goku had never met him before, but he seemed rather familiar.

"Umm, yes I am. Do I know you? " Goku asked innocently.

"Sorry, my name is Kaito Domoto. I heard you called the lifeguards to recuperate me yesterday. Thanks a lot." He smiled. Kaito is a surfing champion of South City and son of the deceased parents, whose father and mother were famous musicians. They died after a tsunami hit the cruise ship, making it sink to the bottom of the sea. Kaito at the time was staying at his aunt's place, so he was spared of tragic death.

Then Goku remembered who he was. He was the popular guy in school that the girls were often gushing about, how they would go on a date with him and stuff. But he was also the surfer that the witch had in her custody yesterday under the sea, a boy that he fortunately saved on time.

"Yeah sure, no problem." Goku smiled widely.

"I dunno, usually I can take on those waves easily. I must have been clumsy at the moment or something." Kaito smiled in slight embarrassment.

 _"Yeah, probably because you had that fish lady in the way."_ Goku thought as he chuckled nervously, sweat dropping a bit. "Well, I suggest you be careful next time, or else you could really drown." He smiled. kaito merely laughed lightheartedly.

"Sure, no problem. Well, I just came to thank you. See ya in class!" Kaito waved goodbye. He seemed like a decent guy for Goku, so it was good to have friends such as him. He also met two of Kaito's good friends who were also surfers, Daichi and Kengo.

As Goku was about enter the building, he noticed a poster on the entrance door. It was about the Spring Festival and how many people are welcome to go there. Along the way, Goku found Lucia taking a chocolate bar from the vending machine.

"Hey Lucia, how's it going?" Goku said cheerfully. Lucia smiled brightly when she saw him.

"Hey Goku. Nice day, isn't it?" Lucia said cheerfully.

"Yeah, though I wish I could train on this nice day instead of going on stupid classes." Goku puted childishly with folded arms, which made Lucia giggle cutely a bit.

"Yeah, there are days I wish I was outside too instead of going to school." Lucia smiled as she looked outside.

Goku smiled before he noticed a pink winged seashell pendant around her neck. Oddly enough,it seemed extremely familiar. Then suddenly it hit him. The mermaid from yesterday had the same pendant as Lucia.

" _No way_! _She can't be the mermaid from yesterday, right?_ " Goku thought in slight surprise. In all honesty, it wouldn't be that much of a surprise if it was the case, considering all the whacky stuff he experienced in his adventures, with the Monster Carrot being one of many examples, who had the ability to turn people into carrots with a single touch. Even though he had slight doubts, considering how drastic the two's appearances are, he was still determined to discover the truth.

"Hmm? What is it, Goku? "Lucia asked curiously, thinking that something happened. Goku snapped from his thought as he looked at her innocently.

"Oh, it's nothing." Goku grinned nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Then he thought of the ways of how to find out if she was the mermaid. Then an idea popped in his mind as he remembered about that Spring Festival poster he saw on the door. It's a perfect place to have some fun, but also discover the truth of whether she was the mermaid or not.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to have any plans for tonight, do you?" Goku asked curiously.

"No, I don't. Why?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Well, there is this Spring Festival happening tonight and I was wondering if you wanna come and have some fun." Goku smiled, hoping that Lucia will accept his invitation.

"You mean, go on a date with you?!" She asked him cheerfully while blushing a bit. Goku had no idea what she meant by that, but he rolled with it without thinking about it too much. Or at all.

"Yeah sure. That is, if you are not busy." Goku smiled.

"No no, I would love to go out with you!" She said with a higher-pitched voice. Lucia was overjoyed that Goku finally asked her on a date and she wouldn't miss it for anything. Or so it seemed as a date to her.

"Great, I am looking forward to it!" Goku said cheerfully. Then his stomach started to growl loudly. He didn't eat anything since this morning, because he went to school right after he awoke, because he overslept. Lucia couldn't help but smile, for he always has that goofy grin whenever he is hungry.

"Sorry, I'm gonna go get a bite to eat at the cafeteria. I'll see ya at the classroom." Goku chuckled, waving goodbye before he departed to grab a bite to eat.

* * *

After she reached the classroom, Lucia was daydreaming about her date with Goku. Then Hanon approached her.

"Hi Lucia." Hanon smiled. But her face went blank when she noticed that Lucia's brain turned off, oblivious to everyone around her. Hanon called for her again, waving her hand in front of Lucia's face. "Lucia! Hello?!" She exclaimed. This snapped Lucia from her daydreaming.

"Oh hi Hanon." Lucia said with innocent expression, completely taken in by the date that she didn't notice Hanon's presence.

"Why were you so lost, what were you thinking about?" Hanon asked. Lucia giggled with a red blush on her face. She still couldn't believe that Goku asked her out, sort of.

"I am going on a date with Goku." Lucia answered. In truth, he didn't say like that literally, but it sure felt like a date if he wanted to spend time with her.

"What, really?" Hanon asked surprisingly. Lucia gave her a simple nod while having the bright smile on her face. This worried Hanon a bit.

She took Lucia to the roof where no one would listen to their conversation. Even though Hanon was the one who gave Lucia advises about the boys, she was still against the idea of dating with humans, mostly due to the fact that Lucia would tell Goku that she was the mermaid.

"Lucia, have you gone mad?" Hanon frowned seriously.

"What do you mean by that?" Lucia raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"I mean about dating with humans. Have you forgotten that you are a mermaid princess?" Hanon frowned.

"You are a mermaid princess as well, why didn't you tell me?" Lucia also frowned seriously. Until last night, she thought she was the only mermaid princess that decided to go to land.

"It doesn't matter, Lucia. Don't go on a date with Goku." Hanon said seriously.

"I will and you can't stop me." Lucia said.

"Fine. Then I'm coming with you." Hanon smiled.

"What?! Are you crazy? Why would I bring you along?" Lucia said, shocked and a little angry that Hanon would ask to tag along on her date with Goku.

"You know why, Lucia. Don't you know what will happen if you tell him who you are? You will turn into a sea foam." Hanon warned. Lucia's eyes went wide at that statement. She completely forgot about that one. She was so obsessed about the date that she neglected that fact.

"Don't worry, I won't tell him. And you just had to warn me when I was so happy about going out with him!" She said angrily.

"Man, you are so stubborn." Hanon said with a sigh.

"No, you're the stubborn one! This has nothing to do with you!" Lucia replied.

"Yes, it does!" Hanon backfired.

Then Lucia and Hanon kept repeating yes and no's to each other until the school bell was heard, meaning that classes were about to start. The girls merely huffed to each other before they turned their backs with an angry pout and went to the class.

* * *

Elsewhere, deep beneath the sea, a sinister force is residing in the darkness of the sea floor. There was a moving castle shrouded by shadows, endlessly relocating from one place to another. Within the halls, there was a man in robes who was the master of the witch that attacked Goku and Lucia yesterday, utterly disappointed in her inability to capture the mermaid and claim her pearl. Her name was Izure, one of the Dark Lovers who were working for a master named Gaito, who was very similar to Kaito Domoto in facial appearance, with his slightly pale, slender figure consisting of long black robe, pants and shoes with grey hair.

"You have failed me, Izure. I specifically gave you the task to capture the mermaid and take her pearl, but you didn't manage to accomplish either of them." Gaito said disappointingly.

"No, master Gaito. Please, give me another chance, I'll capture them for sure." Izure pleaded, fearful of what her master's punishment would be.

"Perhaps I'll give the task to someone who is more reliable." Gaito answered. Almost on cue, a black short-winged girl appeared from the pillar's shadows.

"Well well, looks like someone has failed our master. How sad." She said sarcastically. Her name was Eril, a second Dark Lover in Gaito's service with her own array of offensive abilities.

"Shut up! As if you could've done any better." Izure said spitefully. Eril spun around in circle once, switching to her more menacing persona with glowing red eyes.

"Huh, those mermaids will freeze at the very sight of me. I will not fail like you, because I am not so clumsy." Eril said with vicious grin.

"Eril, you will take the charge. Go and do not fail me." Gaito suddenly spoke. After that, he stood up from his throne and went into his quarters, leaving Izure and Eril alone.

"No master! Let me handle this!" Izure pleaded again, but it was too late. Gaito was already gone, leaving defeated Izure with Eril who had a triumphant grin.

"Ooo, this is going to be so much fun! I'll capture all of them for you, master!" She said cheerfully as she was skipping happily through the hallway, leaving Izure alone to wallow in her failure.

* * *

Later that day, Lucia was taking the bath and preparing herself for her date with Goku. After that, she looked into her closet, seeing which clothes would be suitable for the occasion while humming her favorite song. Then Hippo entered the room.

"Lucia, are you really going on a date with a human?" He asked in slight anger.

"Yes I am Hippo. Don't tell me you are against it too!" Lucia asked, a little annoyed with all the commotion going on.

"Of course I am. And I still think that Hanon should come along with you." Hippo answered. Like Hanon, he has the same fear that Lucia would tell Goku that she was a mermaid, so he tried to talk Lucia out of it as well.

"What? Are you saying you don't trust me?" Lucia asked, now getting angry.

"No, not even a bit. " Hippo retaliated. This made Lucia pout angrily, throwing Hippo out of the room and closing the doors right after.

"What is it Hippo?" Madame Taki approached Hippo from the hallway, seeing that something was wrong.

"Oh Madame Taki, Lucia is going on a date with a human. This is terrible." Hippo answered. Then Madame Taki pulled out a few strands of hair from his head, making him smash against the ceiling and back on the floor in a comedic fashion. Madame Taki was never a true oracle, because her prophecies were mostly wrong and on rare cases were they ever true.

"Hmm, I see that this date will go terribly." She said.

"I know that already so I don't have to worry." Hippo said. Then Taki tried to pull more strands of hair from Hippo, which made him run from her into the kitchen. On the other side of the door, Lucia was pondering about the warning that was repeated to her again and again.

"No, I wouldn't tell him that." She told herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Goku was scratching his head on what to wear tonight for the festival. Soon after the classes were done, he was training for a good while, pushing past his limits. Then he took a shower, grabbed a bite to eat, then he took a good nap before he had to go.

"Alright, time to see what to wear." Goku smiled. After he opened the closet, he found only his training clothes inside. Goku never cared much about the fashion, he was only interested in having spare clothes to train in. He had an adult sized blue outfit from when he was a kid, along with a turtle school outfits.

"That's it? Ah well, I guess I'll have to go with something simple. Let's see." Goku pondered on what exactly to wear. In the end, he simply went for his black-blue boots, orange pants and a black undershirt. Afterwards, he looked at himself in a mirror.

"Well, I guess I'm all set." He said cheerfully before he left his house.

* * *

The day passed by quickly and the Spring Festival has commenced. Everyone in the city was welcomed, eager to see what the faire has to offer. Lucia was waiting for Goku to come at the fountain from the other side of the street.

"I still can't believe Goku asked me out. But I wonder where he could be." Lucia said to herself. She hoped that Goku had not forgotten about their date, but she knew he wasn't a jerk to forget about something like that. Well, it was a date for her, since Goku merely said he wanted to have some fun with her, but that works too. Then she heard a familiar voice from behind her.

"Hey Lucia!" The voice called out. Lucia's expression brightened when he arrived.

"Hi Goku. I'm so happy you came." Lucia said cheerfully.

"Of course I did, silly. I wouldn't miss having a fun time with you, right? "Goku smiled. Lucia got a red blush and was watching at the floor for a moment. Goku giggled a bit, making Lucia blush even more.

"Well, ready to go? I heard there are some fun things to try out at the festival." Goku smiled. Lucia then returned to her normal self.

"Huh? Oh sure, let's go." Lucia smiled brightly.

Meanwhile, at the festival, a Dark Lover named Eril was doing her stealth mission, trying to find the mermaids before she decides to attack. She was giving people her yellow fishes with black stripes. They acted as her spies, for if they have found a mermaid princess, then they would inform her.

But unknown to Eril, not only one mermaid was attending the festival, but two. Hanon decided to go as well, mainly because Hippo begged her to look after Lucia, fearing that she might say something wrong to Goku.

"Now there could that girl be? She could be anywhere." Hanon asked herself as she looked around. But moments later, she noticed Lucia holding Goku's hand as they were entering the faire. She was about to go to her, until she bumped onto a man on the way.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright? "A man asked Hanon.

When she recovered from that sudden bump, she met a handsome man staring at her sincerely He was older then her several years, but Hanon didn't mind. She felt something in her heart that she never felt before in those blissful moments.

"Yes, I'm alright. Thank you." Hanon answered shyly, blushing slightly.

"Good, here you go. There was some girl who just forced this fish on me, so you can have it." The man smiled, handing over the yellow fish with black stripes to Hanon. But she was mesmerized by the man's handsome face at the moment that she forgot to express her gratitude to him.

"So, you must be a junior high schooler, correct?" He asked politely. Hanon nodded silently in response. "Well, don't stay out late then."

"Thank you for the fish." Hanon smiled.

"No, I should thank you instead." He smiled. After that, he left home, leaving Hanon to her thoughts of when she will meet him again. She had butterflies in her stomach for the first time and a human is the cause of it. Maybe she was wrong about her statement of dating with humans, if given the chance she would do the same thing Lucia did with Goku.

Meanwhile, Goku and Lucia had spent a lot of fun for several hours at the faire. They tried all sorts of things: They first tried to hit all the bottles with a ball. While Lucia was unsuccessful in hitting them all, Goku tried next to win her a grand prize. But even when he threw the ball lightly, it was sent through the bottles and the wall behind them, leaving a large hole. Goku merely apologized with a toothy grin and with hand behind his head, which made the prizeman fall down on the floor comically while Lucia sweat dropped at what just happened. Then afterwards they bought ice cream, got many toys from the toy machine and tried out many other things that the faire has to offer. To Lucia, it was the best date that she could have ever hoped for.

As they were about to walk away, they noticed a very muscular wrestler who was bragging about his strength.

"Come everyone, come and try your best against me. The winner will receive 100,000 zeni if he manages to beat me in a wrestling match. All you have to do is push me out of this circle and you are the winner. " The man said arrogantly.

To Goku, he was all bark, but no bite. To Lucia, even though he looked intimidating, he wasn't nowhere near as threatening as the Dark Lovers. But still he had that glare that sent chills down her spine.

"Gosh Goku, he does look scary, does he?" Lucia asked while clutching onto Goku's arm. But when she saw his expression, she was surprised. He looked like he wanted to fight that guy.

"Nah, he sure looks big, but he doesn't seem that strong." Goku said casually. Lucia was even more surprised. She didn't want to see her Goku getting hurt, but he was extremely confident at what he said.

"Are you sure, Goku?" Luciae asked, still a little concerned at what he might do.

"Yeah sure. Just watch and see." Goku said cheerfully before he left to challenge the large wrestler. He honestly didn't want to pretend to be a tough guy in front of Lucia or to show off his strength, but he didn't had fun in a long while and the prize money would definitely win him a large abundance of food, enough to feed him for a few days.

"Alright, I'll be your opponent. Let's do it!" Goku said confidently as he entered the circle. The wrestler sweat dropped that a small man like him would challenge him, but it would be an easy win for him. Or so he thought. The wrestler started to laugh out loud by his bold declaration.

"Alright little man, prepare to get squashed." He said arrogantly before he started stomping with his right foot, then left foot. This worried Lucia a lot, fearing that he will seriously get hurt, but then she saw Goku with that same goofy grin on his face. He wasn't scared at all.

"Ready? Set? GO!" The wrestler shouted as he charged at Goku, trying to push him out of the circle, but to his surprise and to everyone else', Goku didn't even budge. He was just standing in the same position with that same goofy grin, not moving an inch.

"Umm, is it my turn now?" Goku asked innocently. The wrestler was starting to sweat. Not only was he fearless, but he was strong as well.

"Uhh, yeah, sure kid." The wrestler said nervously. Goku smiled brightly and with a simple push, the wrestler was thrown outside the circle, tumbling a bit from his strength. Everyone at the crowd cheered at his victory, especially Lucia.

"Alright Goku, that was incredible!" Lucia cheered happily, waving her hands in the air, so glad that Goku won. She never realized that he was that strong.

"See? I told you it was easy." Goku said cheerfully as he gave Lucia his two finger victory sign and his trademark toothy grin.

* * *

After Goku took the prize money, he and Lucia had went into the cove through the forest, where there was a big moon shining on the horizon. Though it was a sight to see, Goku brought her here to find out if his suspicions were correct.

"Listen Lucia, there is something I was meaning to ask you." Goku said.

"Go ahead." Lucia said.

"That pendant around your neck, where did you get it?" Goku asked curiously as he pointed at the necklace around her neck. Lucia gasped inaudibly. Could it be that Goku had finally realized it was she who rescued him? But just to be sure, she decided to stay ignorant.

"Oh this? Well I got this old thing long time ago. Why do you ask?" Lucia asked. Her heart had started to beat faster with every second in anticipation of Goku's next move.

"It's strange, but many years ago, I met a person who was wearing the exact same pendant like yours. She had a beautiful voice, even though we were kids." Goku chuckled a bit at the last part. Lucia's heart had started to pound at an even faster rate, especially while she was staring at those beautiful onyx eyes and a smile that would always make her have butterflies in her stomach. At that moment, she started to sing.

 _ **"The seven colored wind,**_  
 _ **blows across the long plateau.**_  
 _ **At the peak,**_  
 _ **A nostalgic song was playing**_.

"Huh?!" Goku said, dumbfounded at what is just happening. Her singing was awful, but he didn't want to be rude with her, not after all the fun they had.

 _ **And before the dawn,**_  
 _ **I could hear a melody.**_

"It's okay Lucia, you can stop now." Goku chuckled nervously with his hands in front of him and sweat-dropping from her terrible performance. He only hoped she would stop anytime soon.

 _ **And I knew,**_  
 _ **That this song,**_  
 _ **Would only bring joy and love."**_

Lucia was utterly embarrassed by her horrible singing. She was so tense at the moment that she couldn't even sing properly in front of Goku.

"I'm going home!" she yelled before she ran away from him.

"Lucia, wait!" Goku exclaimed, a little concerned about Lucia going away alone through the woods, but she already ran a good distance away from him. She sure runs fast, he thought. As for Goku, he was disappointed to say the least. In the end, his assumptions were proven wrong, letting out a deep, disappointing sigh.

"It looks like it's not her after all. Darn, for a second, I was sure it was her." Goku said to himself before he lied on the horizontal boulder, crossing his legs and putting his arms behind his head., watching the moon and the stars. "Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and hope she would appear again like yesterday."

But despite his thoughts about the mermaid, this night of hanging out with Lucia was one to remember. The whole time, she was so cheerful and always had that cute blush that would make the young warrior laugh a little every time. He wouldn't really mind hanging out with her every day, she can be so silly at times. Then he closed his eyes and relaxed, not wanting to return home just yet.

At that same moment, Hanon was sitting on the nearby rocks near the sea, freeing the fish from the water bag while thinking about the man she met at the faire. Then the fish telepathically informed Eril that the mermaid princess has been found and that it was the time to make her move.

"What was that?" Hanon asked herself cautiously. Someone had appeared in the water and he or she doesn't look so friendly. She jumped in to investigate, only to be ambushed by Eril, locking her in tight grip.

"Hello there, little mermaid. My master is **dying** to meet you, so why don't we pay him a visit?" Eril grinned mischievously.

"Let me go!" Hanon said as she tried to break free, but it was useless.

Meanwhile, Lucia was still running before she stopped to catch her breath. " _What was wrong with me back there? I was so tense that I couldn't even sing right. I can't believe it._ " She scolded herself inwardly, covering her face with her hands in embarrasment. She was so sad that she could almost cry, but then she heard someone struggling.

" _Let me go!_ " A familiar voice echoed in the sea.

"It's Hanon. She is in some kind of trouble." Lucia said to herself, frowning slightly as she jumped in the water to the rescue. As she was approaching Hanon, she saw that the blue mermaid was trapped by the enchanted seaweed that Eril has placed on her, preventing her from escaping.

When Lucia arrived, she noticed an odd, cat like girl standing near Hanon.

"Who are you?" Lucia asked innocently.

"My name is Eril, little girl. It's nice to meet you." Eril said in her cheerful persona.

"Oh, so you must be Hanon's friend, right?" Lucia smiled cheerfully.

"Argh! I'm surrounded by idiots!" Hanon shouted, having a bad case of headaches.

"Hey! That's not very nice, i know what's going on here! Do you want me to save you or not?" Lucia pouted angrily.

"Woohoo, another mermaid princess to take to my master, what a joyous day!" Eril said with her cheerful persona.

"Wow, looks like someone is celebrating too early. " Lucia said to herself before she frowned. " It's time to purify you with the mermaid voice. Voice of the Pink Pearl!" Lucia said seriously. With those last words, she transformed into her Idol Form, ready to fight Eril.

"Well, I guess I better prepare for the fight myself." She spun around once and her menacing persona appeared. "Okay, let's get started. And don't expect that I will fail miserably like Izure."

"Izure?" Lucia said. Then she remembered about the Dark Lover that attacked the surfer and Goku yesterday. Eril was definitely referring to her. "So you are her friend? Then I will beat you too." she said boldly, but Eril was not fazed by her threat.

"Hehe, go ahead and sing. It won't work on me." Eril grinned viciously.

"Fine then." Then she started to sing the song of the Legend of the Mermaid:

"The seven colored wind,  
blows across the long plateau.  
At the peak,  
A nostalgic song was playing.  
And before the dawn,  
I could hear a melody.  
And I knew,  
That this song,  
Would only bring joy and love."

But while she was singing, Eril was completely unharmed, just as she had predicted.

"Nice try, mermaid princess!" Eril said as she unleashed her web-like blasts on Lucia, with the pink mermaid barely dodging the attack. Lucia was surprised that her singing had no effect on Eril.

"What's going on? Why didn't it work? "The shocked Lucia said.

"You won't be going anywhere, little mermaid!" Eril said as she prepared herself to launch another attack at Lucia.

" _Hmm, now's my chance_." Hanon thought as she had took the opportunity to reach Eril's scarf on her head, pulling it from her and breaking the magic that trapped the mermaid.

"Great, I'm free. And now… Voice of the Blue Pearl!" Hanon said. Then she started to assume her own Idol Form. She started to sing along with Lucia the Legend of the Mermaid. This time Eril was in severe pain from their singing, for she alone was no match for the combined powers of Lucia and Hanon. She was spinning around, switching from one persona to the next, unable to resist the pain.

"Loving power of the mermaids!" Hanon and Lucia said together at once, pointing at Eril, performing their finishing move. "How about an encore?" the girls said.

"I can't believe this is happening!" Eril screamed as she was beaten by the mermaids, disappearing moments later.

"Yaay, we beat her!" Lucia cheered at their victory.

"Yup, thanks to me." Hanon responded with a proud look on her face, even though she was minutes ago trapped by the Dark Lover.

"What? If it weren't for me, you would have been taken away!" Lucia said, a little irritated.

"No, I wouldn't!" Hanon retorted. Then the girls argued a bit before they stopped and giggled to each other. Even though they bicker among themselves once in a while, they were still close friends.

After the battle was over, Lucia and Hanon were sitting on the shore, staring at the moon, with Lucia explaining to Hanon what happened with Goku after they left the faire.

"So, your singing was bad because you were nervous? Wow, ain't that a bummer." Hanon said.

"Yeah." Lucia nodded with her head down. She was sad at her terrible performance in front of Goku, she completely botched the chance when Goku was _this_ close to realize her true identity. But still she fused to give up hope as there will be plenty of chances like that in the future. Hopefully.

"Don't worry Lucia, I know how you feel." Hanon said. Lucia was actually surprised that she was showing compassion, even though she was at first against the fact she dated with Goku. Hanon was staring at the moon with a blush, making Lucia wonder how she changed so much in one night, not that it was a bad thing.

Meanwhile, Goku was still lying on the boulder, completely relaxed and thinking about pushing his limits even further, so that he may stand a chance for his destined battle with Piccolo. But then he heard a familiar voice singing in the distance:

"The seven colored wind,  
blows across the long plateau.  
At the peak,  
A nostalgic song was playing. "

Goku opened his eyes and stood up. His face was filled with joy as his mermaid appeared again, sitting on the rock with the big moon glowing behind her, making her look like a goddess.

"And before the dawn,  
I could hear a melody.  
And I knew,  
That this song,  
Would only bring joy and love."

"Hey, it's you!" He said cheerfully as he was jumping from one boulder to another, till he stopped on a shallow rock "Man, I'm so happy to see you again!" he said.

Lucia was surprised that he was also agile as well as strong, but she kept her calm composure, not wanting to worry him. Then she jumped gracefully in the water, swimming towards Goku. Noticing this, he bent his knee, so that his eyes may meet hers. Lucia appeared out of the water in front of Goku.

"My dear Goku, my heart swells with joy to see you again too. I just couldn't stop thinking about you." Lucia said in graceful and mature voice as she leaned in to kiss Goku on the cheek. Goku looked at her with innocent expression, which made the mermaid smile warmly before she disappeared in the water.

"No wait! You are leaving so soon?" Goku said innocently, surprised that she would leave right after he met her again.

"Search for me." The mermaid said. "Search for me and you will find me. " These words echoed in the warrior's mind, but at the same time confusing him a little as he placed his hand on a cheek where the mermaid kissed him.

"But i've already found you, what are you talking about? Come back!" Goku shouted towards the sea, but unfortunately the mermaid disappeared. "Ah man, what a bummer. I wonder what she meant by that." He said before he started to yawn loudly, rubbing his right eye. "Guess that answer will have to wait for another time, i'm beat." He then turned around and started to dash back to the shore and on his way home.

Moments later after Goku left, Lucia popped from the water, pouting disappointingly.

"Man Goku, that's not what i meant." Lucia sighed in disappointed, but in the end she smiled as she closed her eyes. "Ah well, guess that means ill have to try harder."

Then after it was all said and done for the night, she submerged in the water again and departed back home as well.

* * *

The next morning, Lucia was sweeping in front of the hotel until she heard someone calling out from the truck.

"Hey Lucia!" Hanon said cheerfully.

"Hanon, what are you doing here? Why are you in that truck?" Lucia asked curiously, surprised to see her at the hotel of all places.

"I am moving in with you, silly." Hanon smiled.

"What?! Seriously?!" Lucia exclaimed in surprise. no one ever told her that Hanon would move in.

"Yup." Hanon smiled brightly.

Later on they all gathered at the guest room, where they discussed about Hanon's stay in the hotel.

"Lucia, since Hanon is one of us, I decided that she will remain here. And since you need to start to act like a real princess, its probably for the best this way." Nicole said. Hippo was in the agreement with the arrangement, much to Lucia's annoyance.

"That's right Lucia. And besides, you are not careful at all. If we let you out of our sight for a second, who knows what you might do." Hippo said. Lucia flicked him off the table in response. Madame Taki was also in the room, collecting straws and then throwing them all at once in the air, but holding onto a green straw.

"Today is a great day for moving in. Your luck is of green color." Madame Taki said.

"Madame Taki, stop throwing those straws around, we'll need them for the guests." Nicole said annoyingly. Madame Taki reluctantly had to pick them up from the floor.

"And aside from that Lucia, I gotta keep an eye on you so that you wouldn't admit to Goku that you are a mermaid." Hanon said.

"Don't worry, I won't." Lucia said with an annoyed tone, making Hanon giggle a bit.

After they have finished the conversation at the guest room, they noticed a lot of boxes near the entrance, along with a round object covered with pink cloth. Hippo poked it a few times to find out what it is.

"Hanon, what is this?" He asked curiously. Lucia also wanted to know what did Hanon brought with her, besides her belongings in those boxes.

"Oh, allow me to introduce you to my friend." Hanon said with a smile as she unwrapped the cloth, revealing a small fish tank with a cute jellyfish in it. "This is my friend, Puru."

* * *

It took the whole morning to help Hanon relocate the boxes into her room and accommodate herself with her surroundings, which made Lucia a bit tired. After that was done, she and Hanon went to school, not wanting to miss the classes.

"I wanna thank you for helping me with my stuff. We managed to finish everything before school." Hanon smiled.

"Yeah, and I got tired before the school even started." Lucia groaned tiredly, which made Hanon laugh a little.

"So, we meet again." A familiar voice said behind the girls. When Hanon turned around to see who it was, she was surprised at who she had met.

"It's you! The guy from the festival." Hanon exclaimed, though it wasn't too loud so that she wouldn't scare him. The memory of their first meeting was as clear as day.

"Yeah. I take it you two have enrolled in this institution?" He smiled. Hanon blushed a little while staring at the man. She simply nodded in response.

Lucia, on the other hand, was a little lost. Who is this guy that made Hanon blush when no other man did?

"Hey Hanon, who is he?" She whispered to Hanon. Hanon merely shushed her friend, telling Lucia to keep quiet.

"I'm sorry, my name is Taro Mitsuki and I will be your music teacher in this school." The man now known as Taro smiled.

" _So, his name is Taro!_ " Hanon thought with pink hearts in her eyes. She couldn't believe that this handsome man would be her teacher in the very school she is attending. Lucia approached first to introduce herself.

"Hello Mr. Mitsuki. My name is…" As she was about to tell her name, Hanon shouldered her aside, wanting to introduce herself first.

"My name is Hanon Hosho. And… welcome to our school." Hanon said shyly while trying to fight off the blush she had at the moment.

"Thank you. Well, I'll see you in class, don't be late." He chuckled slightly before he walked to school, leaving Hanon and Lucia alone.

"Ahh man, I can't wait to go to music class." Hanon smiled blissfully while daydreaming about Taro. Lucia was completely confused at her sudden change of behavior.

"What were you saying before, Hanon? About the fact that we shouldn't date with humans?" Lucia said sarcastically. Even though it was strange to her for her friend to have a sudden flip in perspective, she wasn't against it either.

Then a girl with a long green hair walked past them. She was unknown to either of the girls.

"Hey Lucia, who is that?" Hanon asked curiously.

"I dunno, maybe an exchange student?" Lucia said innocently. After that, the school bell was heard and the girls went to the classroom.

* * *

After everyone attended the class, they were introduced with another student. To Lucia's and Hanon's surprise, it was the same girl that they have seen a while ago. She didn't wear the usual girl outfit like all the girls in the school. Instead, she was wearing the boy's outfit, which comprised of blue pants and while shirt. She had a rather cold appearance at first glance.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Rina Torin. She is our new student, so make sure she feels welcomed." The female teacher smiled. Then she showed her the seat so that the class might begin. Goku wasn't nearly as surprised as Lucia and Hanon, but he did notice that Rina was staring daggers at Kaito for some reason. She looked like she really hated him.

"Hey Lucia. Did you notice that Rina is looking at Kaito in an unfriendly way? Did those two had a fight or something?" Goku whispered to her curiously. He had been through enough fighting to know that this particular glare almost had a killing intent. He also sensed her power level, trying to see if she had a malicious energy, believing that she was in league with the witch that attacked Kaito the other day. To his relief that wasn't the case. After Goku's words, Lucia also noticed her glare.

"I dunno, Goku. I have never seen her around school, so how could that be possible?" She whispered while she looked at Rina before she glanced towards Goku. "Maybe she is just feeling uncomfortable because she is the new student in class."

"I guess so." Goku frowned slightly, but in the he shrugged as he thought it was no big deal, since the girl was in the clear about being evil.

During the school break, Lucia and Hanon decided to introduce themselves to her.

"Hi, my name is Lucia Nanami, but you can call me Lucia." She smiled. Then she gestured at Hanon. "And this is Hanon Hosho. Can we call you Rina?"

Rina was glaring at Kaito the whole time, he had the resemblance of someone she hated the most, guessing that the person was actually Kaito. After he walked away, Rina followed soon after.

"Hey Rina, where are you going?" Lucia asked.

"Man that was rude. What's her deal anyway?" Hanon asked angrily. It's infuriating for her that someone ignores their greeting like that.

"It's probably because she is new here. She might need time to make herself comfortable here." Lucia explained to her, though she wasn't so sure herself. Hanon merely walked away, muttering about how that was a waste of time. But Lucia didn't give up, she actually set a goal for herself to befriend Rina, determined to see it through.

Back at the hotel, Madame Taki, Hippo and Nicole were watching the news. Nicole brought the tea for the two. Then the news showed how the famous singer named Jennifer Hewston arrived in South City, where there will be many people at her concert. They weren't very interested until they noticed her necklace which had a green jewel at the center.

"The green pearl." Madame Taki said simply

"You don't think that she is a green pearl mermaid princess, right?" Nicole asked curiously. She was in doubt that the mermaid would openly show herself to the world, but it might be possible that it was her.

* * *

At the same time, within the dark halls of Gaito's mobile castle, he and the two Dark Lovers noticed the same green jewel that caught their attention.

"The pearl. She could possibly be the green mermaid princess." Izure said.

"First the pink pearl, then the blue pearl and now the green pearl." Eril added.

"This woman has to be her. Master Gaito, allow me to investigate." Izure said, insistent on taking the task.

"No, let me do it. I will find out everything you need to know about this woman." Eril retorted, not wanted to be bested by Izure. Gaito briefly thought about the situation. Even though they both failed him in the past, they might succeed if they work together.

"I'm sending you both to see this through." Gaito commanded.

Izure and Eril didn't see each other eye to eye that often, but they will do anything to gain Gaito's favor, so they reluctantly agreed to cooperate.

* * *

Later that day, after the classes were over, Goku immediately went home and started training again, even though he already did this morning, putting on his trademark uniform. As he reached his usual training spot, he used the technique that he prefers the most when solo training: The Multi-Form technique from Tien Shinhan. It was enough for him to see it once how it works to be able to use it himself. Then he commenced his exercise after splitting himself in two, which was enough for him in this case. Goku and his copy clashed at each other at incredible speed, punching and kicking and performing a flurry of combos, perfecting his fighting technique to make sure there are no flaws.

After several hours of intense training, he paused to catch his breath, his copy returning to him.

" _It's time for your terror to end!_ " Then he had flashbacks about his battle with King Piccolo 3 years ago. He was battered and beaten, with nothing but his right arm to defend himself, because Tien was nearly crushed when Piccolo grabbed him and threatened to Goku with his death should he make a move. It wasn't a pleasant situation, not even in the slightest. With the remainder of the energy he had, he blasted himself in the air, then used all of his power in a single punch that sealed the fate of the evil villain, King Piccolo.

Even though he was victorious, many innocent people paid the price, including his best friend Krillin and his teacher, Master Roshi. He swore that he would train as hard as he possibly can to never get himself in that situation again, especially in his upcoming battle against his son, Piccolo Jr.

"No! I have to train harder!" He exclaimed to himself before he jumped back on his feet. He then exerted more energy and recommenced his training, going on like this for several more hours.

* * *

Later that night, at the Pearl Hotel, Lucia was making rings on her desk, while Hanon was taking a bath in Lucia's bathroom, much to her annoyance.

"Hey Lucia, this is so much fun!" Hanon said cheerfully as she poured more foam in her bath tub.

"Be quiet Hanon, I'm working here." Lucia said, a little irritated by the distraction.

"Don't be so grumpy." Hanon teased. After a while, she got out of the bathroom and walked over to Lucia with nothing but a towel.

"What are you doing?" Hanon asked, curious of why was Lucia so distracted. "Oh, you are making jewels. They look so cute." She smiled. Lucia was happy that Hanon liked the jewels.

"Yeah. I made you a blue ring, since you are a blue pearl mermaid. Mine is pink, because I'm a pink mermaid princess." Lucia smiled. Then Hanon noticed that there is also a green ring on the desk.

"Umm Lucia, for whom is that green one?" Hanon asked curiously.

"Oh, that's for Rina." Lucia smiled. Rina seemed like a nice girl, so a simple ring as a gesture of friendship will hopefully convince her to spend time with them.

"To that selfish girl? You are wasting effort and time." Hanon said in slight annoyance. He thought that she was too heartless to accept such a kind offer, but Lucia still had hope, despite her own doubts.

* * *

The next day at school, Lucia was pondering on whether or not Rina would accept the ring she made for her, but Hanon reassured her, saying that its best to find her and see for herself. They were walking along the hallway until Hanon heard someone playing a piano.

"Is that… That's Taro! My dear Taro!" Hanon exclaimed as she blushed a bit. She darted to see him, leaving Lucia alone. She was still in doubt about the situation until she noticed that Hanon was gone.

"For pity sake, Hanon! Fine, ill search for Rina myself!" Lucia groaned angrily. Sometimes she doesn't understand what goes on in that head of hers.

Lucia tried to search for Rina behind the building, until she noticed Goku. She was about to run to talk to him until she noticed someone else in front of him. It was a woman with a turquoise-colored hair and appeared to be a little older than Goku. From her point of view, they looked as If they were kissing. She couldn't believe it. Then she ran away, with tears starting to form in her eyes, dropping the green ring she had in her hand.

From Goku's point of view, it wasn't the case. He was having a friendly conversation with none other than Bulma, who wanted to check on him and to see if he was actually going to school and not skipping classes.

"So Goku, how's school coming along? I hope you are not slacking because of your training." Bulma said suspiciously with folded arms. She still couldn't believe at how much Goku changed from that little boy into a handsome young man. Even though she was older than him, she wouldn't mind having him as a boyfriend, though she kept it to herself for the time being.

"No Bulma, i'm not. Even though school is so boring, I made some new friends here, so I'm at least having fun outside the classes." Goku answered honestly. It was true that he was by no means a scholar, but since grandpa Gohan was gone, Bulma took it upon herself to educate this punch jockey. Though she was glad he was still making new friends.

"Well, I'm glad. Have you found a girlfriend yet? You seem to be pretty popular around here." Bulma teased him. She was a bit jealous that he was getting all the attention from the girls, but knowing Goku, he didn't notice it at all.

"What do you mean by that?" Goku asked in confusion, looking at her innocently.

"Come on Goku, girls keep whispering whenever they see you around me. Don't tell me you didn't notice it before." She smiled. Goku thought about what she said and he did notice it a lot of times.

"Well, they do seem to talk a lot, especially when I hang out with Lucia. They think that we are like a couple or something, or that's what they usually say." Goku said, looking up at the sky in thought. The name 'Lucia' is what caught Bulma's attention.

"Ohh, and who is this Lucia? Is she your girlfriend?" She started teasing Goku again.

"No Bulma, we are just friends." Goku said with his typical blank innocent stare.

"Come now Goku, you can tell me. She is your girlfriend, isn't she?" Bulma teased him further with a sly grin while elbowing him on the chest.

"No, we are just friends, honest! " He exclaimed nervously while waving his hands in front of him. Bulma merely giggled and decided to stop her teasing.

"Alright Goku, if you say so. Well, I'm going home now, got a lot of things to do. Until next time." She smiled before she waved goodbye to him, heading back to Capsule Corp.

"It was great seeing you again, Bulma. Bye!" Goku said cheerfully as Bulma was leaving the school grounds.

As Goku was going back to the classes, he noticed a green ring on the ground.

" _Strange, I wonder who dropped this. I better hold onto it till I find out._ " He thought as he put the ring in his pocket, then going for a bite to eat.

From the other side of the school, Lucia was crying that Goku was with another woman. Hanon tried to comfort her.

"Goku and that woman were kissing? Come on Lucia, it must have been a mistake. You were pretty far away, weren't you? " She asked, trying to make her feel better, but it was useless. "I know, she must have lost something and Goku probably offered to help her." She guesses just to make her feel better, but Lucia can hardly forget something like that.

"Yeah, she lost something right on Goku's face." Lucia said sarcastically. This didn't help lifting her spirits, not one bit.

"Listen, if it bothers you so much, then why don't you go and ask him?" Hanon suggested. Lucia stopped her crying and thought about the suggestion before she decided to go and look for Goku.

Later on, Lucia was hiding behind the tree, trying to find the young warrior.

" _Maybe I understood wrong from what I have seen. I was pretty far away. I guess there is only one way to find out for sure_." She thought as she looked around to find Goku. Then moments later she found him, walking away from school grounds with that same goofy grin that she just couldn't resist. She mustered her courage before she went to confront him.

"Umm, hi Goku." Lucia said reluctantly.

"Oh hi Lucia, how's it going?" Goku greeted her cheerfully. This made her even more reluctant as she lost her serious bravado when she looked at his happy expression.

"Well .. I .. um… " Lucia started to shake a bit. She was afraid of Goku's response to the question she is about to ask him. Goku was getting a little worried, thinking that something is troubling her.

"Hmm? What is it Lucia?" Goku asked innocently.

"What were you doing with that woman earlier?" Lucia asked reluctantly. Goku was a little surprised that she knows about her conversation with Bulma, but then again there were a lot of students walking about, so he wouldn't be surprised if she passed by during that time.

"Oh, you mean Bulma?" Goku smiled, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. Lucia couldn't believe it. He even spoke her name. Then she imagined Goku and Bulma leaning in and kissing each other, which made her lost all her courage to question him further.

" _I don't have the nerve to go into details._ " Lucia thought sadly while leaning her hand against the tree. Goku was completely confused as he sweat-dropped at her sudden change of mood.

" _Geez, I wonder what's gotten into her?_ " Goku thought to himself. In the end, he shrugged as he thought it was nothing serious, making his way back home.

* * *

After the classes were over, Lucia slowly made her way home. She was so sad that she couldn't question Goku and find out the truth. Then she noticed a suspicious woman with a coat that covered her face and sunglasses, with Lucia's heart starting to pound in fright.

" _A suspicious person? Is she a burglar?_ " She thought, fearing that the person might rob something. She started to charge, swinging her bag, trying to hit the unknown person, but the person dodged backwards.

"Hey, what's the deal? I'm a guest of this hotel." She said with an annoyed tone.

"Oh, sorry Miss." Lucia apologized, feeling a bit guilty for attacking the guest like that. Then she escorted her to the check-in table "Welcome to the Pearl Hotel." She said while bowing to the guest.

"Yes, I'll call you when I need you. I need some privacy." The guest said, ignoring Lucia. Nicole noticed a particular green jewel around her neck.

" _Wait, that jewel. Is she the mermaid?_ " She thought. She thought about asking her, but since she wasn't so sure, she decided to remain silent till she sees her transform.

Meanwhile, Lucia was thinking about Goku, sad about his meeting with the woman she saw earlier today. She simply didn't had the courage to question him about today's meeting, despite Hanon's advice. She played a song of Jennifer Hewston who through it's lyrics happens to describe her current feelings. At the same time, in the room above, a recent guest was staring at the sunset, also looking sad.

"Richard." She said sadly. But during her contemplation, she heard her song from below, which irritated her immensely. She went downstairs to turn it off, knocking on Lucia's door.

"I'm sorry, but can you turn that off please? " She asked Lucia barely politely.

"Huh? Why?" Lucia asked in slight confusion.

"Because it disgusts me, that's why." The guest asked, starting to get more irritated. But Lucia's stubbornness didn't help much, so she turned off the song forcefully.

"Hey, what was that for? That is a beautiful song of Jennifer Hewston and it describes my current feelings." Lucia said angrily at the guest for being so rude. The guest gasped as she was surprised about Lucia's comment on the song.

"Is that how you truly feel?" she asked. Then Lucia frowned sadly again.

"Yeah. There is this guy that I really like, but I don't have the courage to tell him that. Especially after I saw him with another woman earlier today and I'm thinking they might be seeing each other. I can't believe he would do such a thing." Lucia said as she started to cry again, wiping a few tears from her eyes.

"You know, I'm going through the exact same thing…" the guest said, which surprised Lucia. Then she removed her shades and revealed herself as...

 _"No way! It's Jennifer Hewston! What's she doing here?!"_ Lucia thought in immense surprise.

"I'm glad you find my song to your liking." Jennifer smiled.

Meanwhile, Hippo, Nicole and Madame Taki were surprised that the pearl radar didn't had any reading on the pearl, which made them drop their suspicions about Jennifer being a mermaid.

Jennifer explained to Lucia how her love interest, Richard, had been spending his time at work with another woman, which made her wonder if he was faithful to her or cheating. Upon hearing this, Lucia was determined to resolve the problem, dragging Jennifer to the taxi cab, bringing along Hanon as well for both of them to be a morale support. Lucia kept reassuring her that everything would be okay, that she just needs to be brave. Hanon couldnt help but giggle at her determination.

" _When it comes to other people's love problems, she can be really persistent._ " Hanon smiled in thought.

* * *

The night quickly fell and Lucia, Hanon and Jennifer had reached the meeting spot where Richard is waiting. After Jennifer saw him, she was starting to be scared of the idea of confronting him, which made her give up in the end. Lucia noticed this as she nudged her forward for her to go.

"You can do it, Jennifer. It's going to be alright." Lucia said in determination. After a few moments of composing herself and after Lucia's words of encouragement, Jennifer nodded as she went to confront Richard.

At the same time, Goku was exiting the nearby pizza restaurant that was just around the corner after he had a delicious dinner.

"Man, I'm so full!" Goku said to himself cheerfully. "I think it's best that I go home before I fall asleep right on the spot." Goku laughed a little, he would always fall asleep at night after he ate. But as he was passing by, he immediately frowned after he sensed danger nearby.

" _What was that? I sense two big power levels. And they both have sinister energy._ " Goku thought as he looked around, trying to find the source until he noticed a couple near the sea. " _It can't be the two of them. Their energies are weaker than the ones I just felt._ " He looked around more till he noticed two more energy signals.

"Lucia and Hanon? What are they doing here?" Goku said to himself.

Then moments later, a giant wave erupted from the waters, and it was targeted at the couple. Goku on instinct instantly ran at fast speed which made him look like a blur, catching the couple and taking them to safety to nearby building. Lucia and Hanon were surprised that Jennifer and Richard were gone before they could be engulfed by the wave.

"Where did they go, Hanon?" Lucia asked in surprise. Hanon looked around till they saw a familiar figure.

"Lucia, look!" Hanon exclaimed, pointing out at the man who had a very familiar spiky hair. "It's Goku!" She said. Lucia was shocked that it all happened so fast and that her Goku was the cause of it.

" _Goku? He was the one who saved them?_ " Lucia thought as she blushed red at his heroic act. Hanon on the other hand decided to hide behind the bushes, dragging Lucia with her. Lucia protested that she wanted to help Goku, but Hanon told her to stay hidden to see what he could do. In the worst case scenario, they would jump in to help. Lucia reluctantly agreed in the end.

" _Be careful, Goku…_ " Lucia thought, scared for his well-being.

"Listen you two, you need to get out of here now. It's too dangerous to be here." Goku said seriously as he looked at Jennifer and Richard.

"But what is…" Before Jennifer could ask him the question, a dark energy bolt shot past her, breaking the necklace around her neck. Goku took the couple again and jumped to the nearby streets so that they could run.

"I said go, now!" Goku shouted slightly. This time the couple simply thanked him before they ran away. Then Goku looked around, trying to find Lucia and Hanon, but to his surprise, they were gone.

"Huh? Where did those two go? They were just here." Goku said curiously. He was about to sense their energy until a water dragon appeared to fetch the necklace. Two figures soon after jumped from the water like a torpedo and landed gracefully on the street. They were Izure and Eril. Soon after, Eril blasted Izure's water dragon and snatched the necklace from it.

"Huh? This is not a pearl." Eril said with a disappointed frown.

"What a waste of time. It's just a trinket." Izure frowned in frustration.

Then Goku stepped in to face the Dark Lovers, his eyes piercing daggers at them. He always hated someone hurting innocent people for no reason, and these two were no better than the other enemies he faced over the years. The two Dark Lovers noticed him approaching moments later.

"What are you looking at, human? Leave now if you don't want to get hurt." Izure threatened, but Goku was unfazed by her threats in the slightest. Then he recognized the red-headed woman. She was the one that he faced the other day when she attacked Lucia and nearly drowning Kaito. The other one was unknown to him.

"I don't know why are you here, but hurting innocent people is something I don't tolerate." Goku said sternly, slowly approaching the two lovers. "I'll give you one chance to go back wherever you came from. Trust me, you don't want this."

Then Izure also recognized the fighter. He was the one that stood up against her when she kidnapped that surfer.

"Ahh, I remember you now. Do you really think a mere human can defeat not just one Dark Lover, but two?" Izure mocked before the two of them laughed to each other at his audacity. Goku merely smirked, he knew that people like them would never turn tail and run. They would always fight him, which was fine for him actually. Their power levels were nowhere near his, but it was still higher than average human, so he decided to be on guard, fully ready for anything that these two will throw against him.

"Eril, lets teach him a lesson." Izure smirked. They were ready to fight and so was Goku, who took up his fighting stance. Behind the bushes, Lucia was more afraid by the second.

"That's it. I'm going to help him." Lucia frowned slightly. She knew that Goku was strong, but she was afraid that the Dark Lovers would overwhelm him before he has a chance to defend himself.

"No, wait Lucia. You can't beat them alone." Hanon said seriously as she held Lucia in place.

"Let me go Hanon. Goku needs help, he will get himself hurt!" She protested, frowning sadly, but Hanon managed to calm her down.

"Keep cool, Lucia. Look at Goku for a second. Do you see the expression on his face?" Hanon pointed at Goku, with Lucia now turning her attention towards the boy. She gasped inaudibly at what she saw. He had that same look when he was fighting that wrestler back at the Spring Festival. That same fearless and confident look that is now shown against the Dark Lovers.

"By the look on his face, he seems to know what he is doing. Let's wait a little longer. If he gets in trouble, we will help him beat Izure and Eril." Hanon said reassuringly. Like Lucia, Hanon despised the fact of hiding behind the bushes when they could easily handle the two water demons, but she wanted to see Goku's abilities after Lucia told her how he effortlessly beaten a large wrestler.

"Alright then human. Take this!" Izure said as she unleashed her water dragons against Goku. He managed to easily dodge them one by one. Izure continued to attack Goku, but in the end her efforts were useless. Then she spawned more dragons, but this time they were following Goku, who was flipping and dodging them until he went for a counter attack. He elbowed one dragon, kicked the second and pulled out his power pole to smack the third one, immediately sheathing it before standing sideways in front of the lovers, who were left shocked after that little display of skill.

"Seriously, that's all you got?" Goku said with same serious expression. Izure was completely shocked at this man's fighting prowess. She had never seen a human that strong and fast. But now it was Eril's turn to strike.

"Let's see how you fare against me. Take this!" Eril then unleashed multiple dark energy blasts at Goku, who again managed to easily dodge them. Eril continued to fire, but even she was unable to even scratch him and she is spending her energy fast. Goku was now getting bored as he found that this fight is going nowhere for them.

" _These Dark Lovers are not very strong. Still, I better finish this right now before its get out of hand_." Goku thought as he prepared to finish them. Izure and Eril are starting to tire out as they gave their best to kill Goku, but he managed to shrug off their attacks like it was nothing.

"What's with this guy? He easily dodges all of our attacks." Eril said, panting slightly.

"Then let's finish him together. He is maybe strong, but he is only a human." Izure growled slightly.

"Right." Eril nodded. Then the Dark Lovers combined their powers and unleashed series of attacks on Goku. He merely smiled at the attack.

"Okay, here goes." Goku grinned confidently as he pulled out his power pole and he started spinning it in front of him at intense speed. The blasts were disintegrated as they made contact, much to the Dark Lovers' shock. Then he sheathed it again and was now ready to finish the fight. Izure and Eril couldn't believe it. He took on their combined attack and negated it with his staff.

"How is this possible? He shouldn't be able to do that!" Izure said in disbelief. She and Eril had used their full might against Goku, but he shrugged it off just as easily as their previous attacks.

"Alright, it's time to end this." Goku said. He charged at Izure, making him look like a blur before he lightly punched her in the gut. She was writhing in pain for a few seconds before she was knocked out. Then Goku turned his attention to the completely shocked Eril.

"She won't be fighting anymore. If you don't want to end up unconscious like her, take her and leave now." Goku said sternly. Eril complied immediately out of shock and terror, taking Izure and vanishing back into the sea.

Lucia and Hanon had watched the entire fight, completely shocked at his performance. He easily defeated not one, but _two_ Dark Lovers at once without even trying.

"Did you see that Lucia? Unbelievable." Hanon said, shaken by Goku's display of strength and skill. Lucia was as equally shocked as Hanon, maybe even more. She just couldn't believe how strong he is. It's hard to believe that a sweet and gentle soul like Goku is at the same time a very powerful fighter.

But unknown to the two mermaids, Goku was holding back a lot of his power. He was disappointed that the water demons were not that strong, he was really hoping for an exciting fight, but he threw that possibility out the window when he easily defeated them. But still, he had the feeling that this will not be the last time he will see them.

"Well, I guess I better go home." He signed disappointingly. Goku thought that Lucia and Hanon left after Izure and Eril showed up, so he didn't had to worry about their safety. But the mermaids watched the whole fight and left soon after it was over, not wanting to get caught. But unknown to the three, another spectator had watched the fight. She had a long green hair and a boy's school uniform. It was Rina.

" _Wow, such amazing strength. He is definitely not on their side, but still I gotta keep an eye on him._ " Rina thought as she too decided to go home.


	3. Chapter 3

~Third Mermaid Princess~

Half an hour later, after Goku's battle against the Dark Lovers, Lucia and Hanon rushed back to the hotel. They still couldn't believe that he single-handedly defeated two beings who laid the mermaid's kingdoms to waste and force them to hide in the surface world. Lucia and Hanon stopped near the hotel to catch their breath, so they wouldn't worry Nicole and Madame Taki and try to make sense of what happened.

"What in the world just happened back there, Hanon?" Lucia asked in shock and surprise.

"Why are you asking me? You are the one who is dating him!" Hanon exclaimed, equally baffled as Lucia.

"As if I knew he was THAT strong!" Lucia exclaimed while blushing a bit. "I knew that he was strong ever since the Spring Festival, but I never thought he would beat Izure and Eril without even breaking a sweat!"

"Okay, let's try to calm down here. No use in panicking." Hanon said in calmer tone. Then they both let out a deep sigh and calmed down a bit, but they still had questions that needed to be answered. "Well, at least we know that he is not on their side, otherwise we would have been in serious trouble." Hanon said seriously. Hanon had doubts about Goku before, but after seeing his battle, her doubts instantly disappeared.

"What? Are you accusing Goku for working with them?!" Lucia said angrily. She just couldn't believe that someone as kind and gentle as Goku would be in league with the Dark Lovers.

"I'm not accusing anyone Lucia. It's just... I have never seen a human possessing that kind of strength before. It's simply unheard of." Hanon said, still surprised at Goku's display of power. Even Lucia had to agree with her. She knew just by looking at Goku's physique that he was strong, but she never would have guessed that he would defeat the two water demons with such ease.

"Why didn't he tell me about it? I thought we had a great time together at the festival." Lucia frowned sadly as she bowed her head down.

"Maybe he just couldn't tell you, Lucia. Just like we can't tell him that we are the mermaids. After all, not everyone would believe that he was that strong and fast, right?" Hanon smiled, trying to make Lucia feel better. Lucia then looked at Hanon before she gave her a sad smile.

"Let's go inside. A lot has happened tonight and we both need some rest." Hanon suggested, with Lucia happily obliging. The girls greeted Nicole, Hippo and Madame Taki before they went in their rooms for a much needed rest and relaxation.

Lucia decided to take a bath before she went to bed. While adding more foam in the tub, she leaned back her head and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before she thought about Goku's fight. His fearless expression facing Izure and Eril, backed up by his incredible strength and speed, easily shrugging off their combined might and knocking out Izure as if he wasn't even trying, then sparing Eril, making her leave instantly. Lucia admired his show of mercy, even blushing pink a bit. But little did she know that when he is backed into the corner, he would kill his enemies if they wouldn't stop hurting innocent people. This was the case several times, the examples being the notorious Mercenary Tao and more recently, King Piccolo. But alas, she wasn't aware of this, because Goku never told her of his adventures.

She replayed the fight in her mind over and over again, until she decided to simply go to bed, then ask Goku tomorrow about it. And most of all, about that woman he keeps meeting with.

* * *

The night went by in a flash and the sun was rising on the horizon. Goku woke up before the sunrise to commence his daily training. He accustomed to this routine ever since he started to train with Master Roshi as a child. The training was really intense, but it all paid off after he and Krillin have dominated almost every fighter at the World Martial Arts Tournament, with the exception of a very skilled veteran named Jackie Chun (who was Master Roshi in disguise). He was training extensively until noon, where at that time Bulma would come to visit him. Today is Sunday, so that means he has all day at his disposal, including the extended training sessions.

Sometime later at noon, Lucia decided to go straight to Goku's residence. She knew where it was because she looked at the school register two days ago and found out the exact location, so she wouldn't search the entire city. As she was nearing his residence she was surprised at what she saw. It was a large house on a hill overlooking the city from the left side and the sea from the right. It was a gift from Bulma as a small token of gratitude for saving her so many times during their adventures. Goku was hesitant at first, but in the end, he accepted the house, adding that it's suitable for him, as he didn't like the city noise that much.

"Wow, what a beautiful house. I wonder how he managed to afford it." Lucia thought out loud. Then she decided to get closer by following the path to his house. Upon closer inspection, it was a lot nice-looking and a lot bigger than from the distance. As she was approaching the doors to knock, she was somewhat hesitant to do it. It wasn't right to visit someone unannounced, but she was here now and it was too late to think about it. Then she heard someone laughing from her left side.

"Oh no! Someone is coming!" Lucia exclaimed as she quickly ducked behind a small stone fence. She wasn't mentally prepared to face Goku, let alone the visitor, at his very doorstep. She peeked to see who it was. It was Bulma.

" _They are both laughing like they are a couple. Are they really together?_ " Lucia thought as she frowned sadly. She was very jealous of seeing them laughing like they knew each other their entire life, though she wasn't far from the truth. While they were talking, Goku escorted Bulma a good distance away from the front of the house.

"Thanks for coming by, Bulma. It was great to see you again." Goku said cheerfully.

"It's my pleasure, Goku. Though you could visit me from time to time at Capsule Corp, you know." Bulma said teasingly.

"Yeah, I'll try to visit you when I have the time." Goku snickered childishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Alright, see ya Goku." Bulma smiled, winking at him. Lucia gasped at that little gesture. She was so sad and so jealous that she could scream, but she had to stay calm. After all, she came to his doorstep out of the blue and she doesn't wanna make Goku believe that she was spying on him.

"Bye!" Goku waved happily. Then he made his way to his house for a much needed shower. He got so carried away by his early-morning training that he forgot to take a bath before Bulma arrived, though she didn't complain, because it was a habit when it comes to Goku.

At the same time, Lucia let out a deep sigh before she returned to her old, cheerful self, sitting at the front steps, waiting for him to come. She knew that he was a caring soul and if he saw that she was sad, he would immediately notice. Goku was stretching his arms wide as he made his way home, until he noticed someone at the steps.

"Huh? Oh hey Lucia, where did you come from?" Goku asked curiously, slightly surprised that she appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh, I was just passing by and I thought to come and visit you." Lucia smiled cutely.

"Well, I honestly wasn't expecting you, but I am sure glad to see you." Goku said cheerfully as he was approaching the front door. He was rather confused to how did she know that he lives here in the first place or that she appeared out of nowhere at the entrance, but she was always welcomed nonetheless. Still, he decided to find out why exactly she was here, it wasn't often that someone comes to his household out of the blue.

"Say, what brings you here?" Goku asked curiously.

"Well, I was… umm.." Lucia stammered a bit, trying to ask him about his association with Bulma. She also wanted to ask Goku about the last night's fight with the Dark Lovers, but he would probably play ignorant.

" _Man, why is it so difficult? But I am here now, I got to ask him before he gets suspicious._ " She thought. Goku on the other hand was staring at her blankly, getting more confused by her hesitation to tell him something. Then Lucia tried to find an excuse on how to avert the subject that she was thinking about. She was looking at his orange shirt and found a few cuts that she could sow easily. Then the idea popped in her mind.

"Goku, your shirt. Its torn up." Lucia suddenly said as she placed her hands on his ragged shirt.

"Oh yeah, I was training this morning and I guess I got carried away." Goku chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't worry, I can sow it up for you if you want." Lucia suggested happily. She really liked the idea of sowing for him, believing it's something that a girlfriend would do.

"Yeah, of course. Let's go inside." Goku said. But then he noticed a pink flower ring on her index finger. " _That's odd. It looks like the one I found yesterday at school._ " He thought. He assumed that it was Lucia's ring, but he first decided to go and take a bath and throw away all the sweaty clothes.

As he unlocked the doors, they entered the living room. It was large, but humble abode for the most part. There were some modern electronics like the TV, but he rarely uses them, since he is outside most of the time. But the important electronics for him were the refrigerator, where he keeps his food for later use, and a stove where he heats his food so he wouldn't eat it cold.

"Oh wow, it's so beautiful." Lucia smiled brightly.

"Nah, its nothing, really." Goku chuckled slightly. "Well, the sowing box is near the TV. As for me, well, I'm going to get a shower. Thanks a lot, Lucia." He said as he threw the orange shirt to her.

As Goku was taking the shower, cleansing the sweat and fatigue from his body, Lucia was sowing his shirt. She noticed how he always has a strange symbol on its back and the left side of its chest that she had never seen before. She decided to ask him another time about that.

" _Wow, this is really strange. I mean, I am in his house… sowing up his shirt… almost as if I'm his girlfriend._ " Lucia said as she checked her surroundings, looked at Goku's shirt before she lastly looked at her own reflection in the mirror. " _Oh my, it would be so wonderful to be his girlfriend!_ " she squealed joyfully from the inside at the thought of being Goku's girlfriend. But she was so taken in by her imagination that she accidentally poked her finger with the needle.

"OUCH!" Lucia shouted in pain. In the meantime, Goku finished with the shower, but when he heard Lucia shouting, he got out with only his orange pants and a towel around his neck, because he didn't even dry his hair.

"Don't tell me you poked yourself, did you?" Goku asked as he was approaching her, hoping that she didn't poke herself too much. He never did sowing himself, because he was afraid of needles, be it medical needles or for sowing. Lucia winced in slight pain, with a little blood dripping from her index finger. Goku knelt to her eye level to inspect her finger. Then he started to snicker childishly. He realized it was no big deal, nothing a little bandage won't fix, but Lucia pouted angrily as she didn't take his childish snickering lightly.

"It's not funny Goku! It hurts!" Lucia whined childishly. This made Goku laugh a little before he quickly composed himself.

"Don't worry Lucia, its nothing serious. Give me your hand." Goku smiled. Lucia hesitantly placed her hand on his palm. Then Goku reached for his drawer to take the small bandage bolt.

"Just a little bit of binding and you will be as good as new." Goku grinned. As Goku was binding her wound, Lucia blushed a bright red. Her heart started to pound and her body was heating up for some inexplicable reason as she checked out his wet, muscled chest and arms. It's almost as if they were chiseled out of marble. Her heart was pounding at a faster rate as she tried to fight off the intense blush she had at the moment. But fortunately for her, Goku finally finished binding the wound.

"There. All done." Goku said cheerfully. Lucia composed herself a bit as she looked at her bandaged index finger.

"Thank you." Lucia smiled. It was really touching for her that he took care of her as he did. But then she noticed a peculiar orb resting on a purple cushion at the opposite side of the room. It was an orange ball with four stars in it.

"Goku, what is that?" Lucia asked curiously as she pointed at the artifact. Goku turned around to see at what she is pointing at.

"Oh, you have never seen it before?" Goku smiled. Lucia simply nodded with innocent expression. Then Goku got up and took the orange ball, returning to Lucia afterwards.

"This is called a Dragon Ball. It's what I have been given by my grandpa when I was a child." Goku smiled as he sat down on the floor next to her, handing it over to Lucia. She took the ball and looked at it in amazement and wonder. It was unlike anything she had seen before.

"Wow, it looks so beautiful." Lucia smiled brightly before she looked at Goku. "I didn't know you had a grandfather. How is he? I would love to meet him." she said cheerfully. She didn't even know he had a family, since he was living here by himself, but she would really like to meet his grandfather if given the chance. But Goku's expression went serious for the moment as he looked down on the floor. Lucia was rather surprised by his sudden change in mood.

"He's gone. He died a long time ago." Goku said in slightly serious voice. Lucia gasped, putting a hand in her mouth. Now she felt stupid for asking a question like that.

"I'm so sorry Goku, i didn't know." Lucia said regretfully, frowning sadly as she placed her hand on his. But Goku merely smiled as he looked at her again.

"Don't worry. That was many years ago and I said my goodbyes before I moved on." Goku smiled.

And he did. In his search for the Dragon Balls, he had to fight several of Fortuneteller Baba's warriors. Among them was a mysterious, masked warrior who was none other than his grandfather Gohan. He was given a full day to come back to the living world where he would test his grandson's fighting abilities. After he said his goodbyes, Goku had a chance to bid his farewells and from that day forward, he promised that he would keep getting stronger.

"Anyway, when you gather all seven Dragon Balls, they have the power to summon a giant dragon who will grant you any wish." Goku smiled as he looked at the orange sphere in Lucia's hands. Lucia was amazed to say the least. She had never heard of such a thing, but it sounded like a dream come true. She had many ideas in her mind in those moments, about wishing to become a human or giving Goku the knowledge that she is the mermaid.

"Incredible. I never knew such a thing was possible." Lucia said cheerfully.

"I never really knew of this either until Bulma came along. She was hunting the Dragon balls as well, so we head on many adventures together to find all seven." Goku smiled. Then Lucia became sad again, her doubts overtaking her bit by bit. Is Bulma really his girlfriend? Goku then noticed her sudden change of mood.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Goku asked curiously. It was finally time for Lucia to ask Goku about Bulma. If she remained silent about it any longer, then her head will pop.

"Umm, about that Bulma lady. Is she.. uhh.." Lucia tried to form the question, but she had a hard time doing it, with Goku only staring at her blankly.

"Is she what?" Goku asked with innocent expression. Then Lucia went for all or nothing.

"Is she your girlfriend?!" Lucia exclaimed nervously, closing her eyes and mentally preparing herself for possible confirmation to her question. If he says that she is, then she honestly wouldn't know what to do. But Goku stared at her blankly, blinking a few times before he started to laugh light-heartedly.

"No Lucia, she is not. What made you think she is my girlfriend?" Goku smiled. Lucia then opened her eyes in surprise.

"Huh? She is not?" Lucia looked at him innocently. Though inwardly, she relaxed deeply now that she knew it wasn't the case.

"No, not at all. Even though she is a good person, she is older than me. And besides, she yells a lot and often calls me names. That was the case ever since I first met her." Goku explained as he rubbed his head. She was always scary to Goku whenever she gets mad. He dreaded at the thought of having her around all the time, so she could yell at him and that's something he doesn't want. Lucia chuckled nervously while scratching her chin. She has a similar situation with Nicole now and then at the hotel and she can be scary when she is mad.

"Oh, before I forget, I have something that you dropped at school yesterday." Goku said as he pulled out something from his pocket. Lucia was shocked as she noticed it was the green flower ring that she made for Rina. She looked for the ring around the school after her failed encounter with Goku, but she never found it.

"How do you know that it's mine?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Well, your ring looks the same, only it's pink." Goku smiled as he pointed at the pink ring that she was wearing. "Try to be careful next time or someone else might find it and keep it." He smiled. Then Lucia remembered about a suggestion that Hanon gave her before she went to visit Goku. She knew that he was a sucker when it comes to food, considering he eats a lot at the school cafeteria so she told Lucia to ask him out on a pie-eating contest where there is a prize money involved.

"Umm Goku? There is a pie-eating contest that is being held tonight at the city mall. There will be a lot of food there and the winner will get a prize money. Do you wanna go with me?" Lucia asked shyly, blushing slightly. She was in doubt about Hanon's suggestion, but she had no other ideas. However, Goku's ears twitched at the word 'pie' as he quickly stood up and stopped right in front of her face with a childlike expression, like a little boy anxious to open a Christmas present.

"A Pie-eating contest?! Really?!" Goku asked excitedly as he clenched his fists in front of his chest with joy, his mouth watering at the very word. Lucia sweat-dropped at his sudden reaction. Hanon was right. He really is a sucker for food.

"Yeah. So I take that as a yes?" Lucia asked, scratching her chin nervously. If Goku really liked food that much, then it would be perfect for her, since she can cook for him if he wanted to.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Goku exclaimed with pure joy, raising his hands in the air. Aside from fighting strong opponents, eating delicious food is another thing that Goku really enjoys doing. He will basically eat anything, as long as there is enough food to sate his hunger. Lucia's face was completely red at the sight of his chiseled chest and arms. She tried to suppress the blush the moment he came out of the shower, but she can't ignore it any longer.

"Goku, could you please put on a shirt?!" Lucia squealed as she put her hands on her face, trying to hide her embarrassment. Goku merely looked at her in confusion, blinking a few times. He had no idea what was she so embarrassed about and why is it a bad thing to walk around his own house without a shirt on. Then moments later, he shrugged as he put on his black undershirt just so Lucia's face would return to normal, even though he thinks it's kinda funny.

But, during their conversation, there was a person who was eavesdropping on Goku from the balcony. It was Rina. Unknown to the two, Rina bore a great resentment for Kaito, thinking that he was Gaito in disguise, mainly because of their striking resemblance and tried to bring out his true identity. But last night at piano recital, sometime before Goku's fight with the Dark Lovers, there was an accident that caused the ceiling to break apart, almost falling on Rina. But she was saved by Kaito, sparing her of tragic death. After that heroic act, her doubts about him instantly disappeared.

And yet, there was Goku. After his fight, she decided to spy on him next. He was way too strong and fast for a normal human and he could be one of Gaito's mercenaries in the surface world, despite his fight against the Dark Lovers. His power was just too great to be left unchecked, even though he seems like a nice person. In her mind, appearances can be deceiving.

* * *

At the same time, within the shadowy throne room of the ruler of Panthalassa, Gaito was marveling at the trophies he had gained during his hunt for the pearls. There were two mermaid princesses who were confined in the isolation chambers where they slumber until freed. One was yellow and the other was dark-blue and both had respective pearls that are now placed on the tip of the crown, with five more remaining to be collected before he could triumphantly don it on his head. Gaito then approached the confined dark-blue mermaid.

"Well now, these mermaid princesses are a lot prettier when they are under my care, aren't they?" Gaito smirked before he turned to Izure and Eril. "The sooner we capture the other five mermaids, the better."

The two Dark Lovers bowed in response, but with difficulty for Izure. It took the whole day for her to recover from Goku's rush attack, but she can still feel the slight pain in her gut. She was still baffled how he managed to just disappear and knock her out like that, the punch felt like she was being run over by a train. Eril was in shock as well at the man's fighting prowess. She was more powerful than Izure and yet not even she was able to lay a hand on that warrior. But neither of them planned to give up just like that, not if they want to gain Gaito's favor and love.

"And then, with the power of all seven pearls, we will summon the sea goddess Aqua Regina and the sea world will be under my control." Gaito proclaimed as he took the glass of wine that was near the crown and too a good sip from it.

"Master Gaito." a high-pitched voice suddenly called for him.

"Yuri? Is that you?" Gaito said in an amused tone. Yuri is a third Dark Lover that was summoned by Gaito. She was successful in capturing the two mermaid princesses that are now confined in his throne room.

"Yes, my lord. How do you like the second mermaid that I captured for you?" Yuri smirked.

"Great work, Yuri. Well done." Gaito grinned with his eyes closed as he sipped more wine, satisfied by her success.

"Guess what? I have recently discovered the whereabouts of the other mermaids in this area. And they seem to have caused trouble to your… 'servants'." Yuri said as she turned her gaze to Izure and Eril, mocking them with their failure. "I have heard that they have beaten you so easily. To make things worse, you two combined couldn't take down one measly human. How incompetent can you be? You two need to be smarter and quicker, just like me." She said, laughing at the fact that they were beaten by a human before she turned away from them.

Izure and Eril were about to retort, but they both looked at each other and decided to say nothing. Yuri is severely underestimating the warrior's strength and a good beating will make her grovel at Gaito's feet for forgiveness, just like they were. They were both smirking at the thought. Then Yuri continued, walking to the isolation chambers of the two mermaids.

"They are starting to rally together and they can be really nasty when that happens. But nothing to worry about." Then she approached Gaito again. "Allow me to finish the job. These incompetent servants need to see how you capture the mermaid the proper way." Yuri said, starting to giggle and laugh out loud. Gaito merely grinned by her determination, believing that she might actually finish what Izure and Eril had started.

"I want to rule the seas as soon as possible, so see it done by any means necessary." Gaito said in serious tone.

"Not to worry, master. I am already formulating a plan." Yuri said as she giggled mischievously, eager to set her plans into motion.

* * *

The night fell and soon the pie-eating contest will start, where at that time Rina will track down Goku. But before that, she went all alone at the beach, contemplating the events that forced her to flee to the surface. She was holding in her hand a very familiar winged seashell pendant with the green pearl resting within. It was almost the same as Lucia's and Hanon's, only hers is green, signifying that she is indeed the Green Pearl Mermaid Princess. Then painful flashbacks of that fateful day suddenly rushed through her mind, where her ally was doomed to eternal imprisonment.

 _Rina ran with the dark-blue mermaid called Noel, where she found out that her kingdom is under siege and that she needed to escape. Noel's kingdom was destroyed as well and she informed Rina that they need to find the rest of the mermaids before they are captured._

 _But then, a sinister chuckle echoed from the distance. It was a massive shadow that manifested into none other than Gaito and his servant, Yuri._

" _You bastard!" Rina shouted furiously. Gaito merely shrugged her comment as he gave her a cocky smile.  
_

 _"Green and dark-blue mermaid princess. I'm offering you both an invitation to join me in my humble abode." Gaito gestured arrogantly with his hand.  
_

" _You are coming, whether you like it or not." Yuri said as she pointed at the mermaids, conjuring water tendrils that were aimed at Rina._

" _Watch out!" Noel pushed Rina out of the way, with Yuri trapping her instead. "Rina, you must go, now! Run!" she exclaimed as Yuri pulled her away into the castle._

" _Noel!" she called out desperately, reaching out her hand to her good friend and ally, but to no avail. She knew that she alone was no match for both Gaito and Yuri, so she had no choice but to flee and seek shelter._

Rina could never forgive herself for abandoning her like that, but she was forced to nonetheless. She closed her pendant and decided to stay at the beach for a little longer before she had to go.

* * *

An hour later at the city mall, many festivities are being held for people's amusement. The most attractive event is the Pie-eating contest that is being held once every year, so the people of South City could compete on who will eat the most and earn the prize money of 50.000 zeni. Goku and Lucia arrived in the mall, overlooking all of the activities that were held within. But Goku only had one thing in mind: to eat every morsel of pie till there is nothing left. He doesn't really care about the prize money, but extra zeni in his pocket will always come in handy for days to come.

Meanwhile, Lucia reached for his hand to hold. She blushed pink as she was holding his warm and gentle hand, making them look like a couple. Goku however was never the type to hold hands. He was annoyed by it really, but she seemed rather happy and he doesn't want to make her angry, so he rolled with it. The last thing he needs is another Bulma. Besides, he needs to eat food fast and the competition is all the more welcoming for him. After which seemed an eternity, they finally arrived.

"Well, this must be it. Wow, a lot of people gathered here just so they can eat some pie?" Lucia asked, surprised at the number of people that are attending the event.

"If so, then those pies must be _really_ delicious! I can't wait!" Goku exclaimed excitedly. His mouth started to water at the thought of how delicious those pies can possibly be.

"Goku, control yourself." Lucia frowned as she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Sorry." Goku snickered with a toothy grin, rubbing the back of his head with his left arm, as Lucia was holding his right arm. Lucia couldn't help but giggle at his childish behavior. She always finds it so cute seeing him like that, happy and carefree. Even during school hours, he wasn't much different. Then the announcer called for all those who want to participate to sign up and fast.

"So, are you ready?" Lucia smiled. Goku was about to answer, but his stomach started to growl, confirming her question. She chuckled cutely at how his stomach beat him to the answer as soon as he opened his mouth. Goku scratched his chin, flushing pink with embarrassment.

"I'll take that as a yes. Let's go, you goof." Lucia smiled brightly. She didn't had to tell Goku twice, as he immediately darted to sign up, eager to begin. It was like signing up for the World Martial Arts Tournament, only his opponent here is a large quantity of food.

Several minutes later, only four participants signed up, including Goku, judging by how many pies they had to eat to win. Two of them were very obese, likely to give him some fun at eating quickly and last one who was leaner then the two, probably someone who wants to test how much he can eat. Lucia went up close to cheer on Goku before many people gathered to watch them as well. Each participant was given a 100 medium sized pies fresh out of the oven. The quantity was astounding to the crowd, all gasping in surprise and asking themselves have they gone crazy. Even Lucia had serious doubts as she sweat-dropped about Goku eating every morsel of those pies. Then the announcer started to speak on his microphone.

 **"Alright participants, here are the rules that are few and simple. No pauses and no regurgitation. The winner will be the one that eats most quantity of pies in front of you. There is no time limit, so don't choke yourselves at the very start."** The contest announcer joked, receiving a brief chuckles and laughs from the audience.

But Goku wasn't paying attention at all. He was just watching the pies with eyes sparkling and his mouth watering at the sight. And they smell really good and he plans on eating every last bit of them. Plus he needed to restore the energy on the training he underwent after Lucia left his house.

 **"Are you ready? Set! Go!"** The announcer said as he sounded the horn. The participants immediately started to devour the pies one after another. Lucia immediately started to cheer on Goku, waving her hands in the air happily.

After a few minutes, fourth participant gave up after he ate an impressive twenty pies, considering his physique. The second and third participants were nearly halfway there, almost regurgitating on the spot, but they stopped after watching Goku devouring one pie after another in a single bite, like he doesn't have a care in the world. Now all eyes are fixed on Goku, as he was about to eat his eighty-fifth pie and was on the way to quickly devour the rest. Even Lucia was baffled to say the least, as she stared at him with bulged eyes and open mouth. It wasn't long before he went for the final pie, eating it as quickly as every other. Then Goku leaned back on his chair, feeling full as he burped a bit.

"Ah man, that was great!" Goku exclaimed cheerfully as he rubbed his stomach in delight. Then he looked innocently at the other two participants near him, completely shaken by how he ate all one hundred pies in one sitting without even catching his breath. Even the announcer was at the loss of words.

"Can I have some of yours too?" Goku asked nonchalantly with wide smile and eyes closed as he pointed at their pies. The two contestants fell off their chairs at his sudden question. The crowd, even Lucia, lost their balance as all of them fell down on the floor in a comedic fashion. Goku looked at them in confusion, he merely asked for a few more pies. Then the announcer nervously approached Goku to finish the contest. His face was sweaty and he was shaken as well by how he casually devoured every bit of pie they placed for him.

 **"Well, umm… the winner of this contest.. is Goku!"** he said nervously as he raised his hand in the air, with Goku grinning widely at his victory. Even though it was not normal for any human to eat that much, Lucia was still so happy that Goku won. But she was wondering if he even _is_ a human. After he took the prize money, he went to meet with Lucia.

"That was great Goku. But how did you manage to eat all of those pies?" Lucia asked cheerfully, trying to hide the shock that happened minutes ago.

"Well, I just love to eat, that's all." Goku smiled widely with a toothy grin as he put his clenched fists on his hips. Lucia sweat-dropped, it couldn't possibly be just that. Then she decided to simply drop it as they decided to go home. But Goku noticed someone staring at him. It was Rina. Thinking she just came here to watch the competition, she went to greet her.

"Oh hi Rina, how's it going? I didn't know you like pies too." Goku smiled, waving his hand to greet her. Rina merely glared at him, not even uttering a word. This made Goku a little confused as he stared at her with an innocent expression on his face.

"Umm, is something wrong?" Goku asked. Then Lucia appeared from behind him, also wanting to greet Rina.

"Hey Rina. Did you see how Goku ate all of those pies? It was truly amazing." Lucia said cheerfully. Goku merely snickered at her in response.

"Well, I think I'll wait you outside, I need some fresh air after all that food." Goku smiled.

"Alright Goku. See ya outside." Lucia said as she turned her attention to the green-haired girl. "Rina, I have something for you. Here." She showed her the green flower ring. "I made it myself. I thought since we go in same class together, that you should have it. It's a token of friendship." She said. Rina was surprised at Lucia's kind gesture. She never expected from anyone to do something so nice for her. But then she frowned as she snatched the ring from her hand.

"You are not serious at all!" Rina exclaimed in grumpy voice as she was leaving the mall to track down Goku. Lucia felt a little sad that she declined her gift, even though she took it in the first place. She can only hope she would wear it.

At the opposite side of the mall, there was a restaurant where a pianist was playing his instrument. She was wearing red robes and a scarf that made her look like a house maid. That girl was Yuri.

" _Now that I know that there are mermaids around here, I can use my music to lure them to me, so that I may capture them all."_ Yuri thought as she played a tune so loud that hypnotized the entire mall.

As Rina went outside the mall, she took out of her pocket the ring that Lucia gave her. She really appreciated the kind gesture that she showed to her, but the fact is she doesn't know her, or whether she should trust her or not. But thinking about it further, she seemed like a really nice and honest girl, so he doesn't see the harm of wearing this ring.

But then she overheard a tune that was all too familiar to her. Someone was here causing trouble.

"What is that strange sound?" Lucia asked herself, also hearing an eerie tune. Just to be sure, she assumed her Idol Form and went to face the intruder. To her surprise, Hanon came along as well after Madame Taki 'prophesized' the potential danger in the city mall. Lucia and Hanon confronted Yuri who was still playing her tune.

"Who are you? Stop playing that awful music now." Lucia said sternly. But Yuri was unfazed, as the mermaids fell right into her trap.

"You should worry about your surroundings instead." Yuri grinned maliciously as the people around the mermaids start to trudge themselves to them, almost like mindless zombies. "You see, this tune that I play hypnotize the people around me. In short, they are my weapon to be used against you!" She exclaimed as she laughed hysterically at her plan coming to fruition.

At the same time, Goku felt a sinister power level in the mall.

 _"What is that energy I'm sensing? It's very similar to those Dark Lover girls that I fought yesterday, only this one is stronger." Goku_ thought as he frowned at the threat that is posed to the innocent people inside. He was about to charge in to face this foe until he saw many people suddenly trudging towards Rina. By the look on their faces, they were acting as if they were hypnotized, probably due to the strange tune that he is hearing. Goku frowned seriously as he knew that he had to rescue Rina first. The situation didn't look good for the green-haired girl, after all. He pushed through the crowd and quickly cleared them off from Rina, but not too hard, just so he wouldn't accidentally break any of their bones.

"Rina, are you okay?" Goku smiled as he looked at the green-haired girl. Rina looked at him blankly for a few seconds before she nodded silently, not knowing what to say after that sudden rescue. With that, Goku returned his attention to hypnotized crowd making their way towards them.

"You need to get out of here, it seems these guys are after you for some reason. Hurry!" Goku inquired as he stood his ground. Rina nodded again before she started to run.

" _It seems Goku is not one of Gaito's goons after all."_ Rina thought, running inside the mall towards the source of this crazy situation. She had to help Lucia and Hanon before they were overwhelmed.

As for Goku, he noticed that their attention was still fixated on Rina, which is why he jumped in the air and landed in front of the mall entrance.

" _What am I going to do? These are all innocent people who are being controlled by someone. And why are they so fixated on Rina?" Goku_ growled at the situation that was before him. He knew he couldn't attack them or even knock them out. And more of them keep coming out from the mall to trap him.

Lucia and Hanon were in similar situation. The crowd was about to reach them until Rina arrived in her Idol form. Then she started to sing The Legend of the Mermaid.

"The seven colored wind,  
blows across the long plateau.  
At the peak,  
A nostalgic song was playing.  
And before the dawn,  
I could hear a melody.  
And I knew,  
That this song,  
Would only bring joy and love."

Rina's singing broke the hypnosis that Yuri put on the crowd in the vicinity, making them fall unconscious. Now that Lucia and Hanon were safe, they combined their voices with hers.

"Look to the east,  
What do you see?  
Little birds flying far away.  
They,  
Are flying off to a place,  
Full of love,  
It's like a treasure."

The combined powers of the three mermaids brought severe pain to the Dark Lover. The pain from Rina's singing was now increased by the joined voices of Lucia and Hanon. Moments later, everyone was free of Yuri's hypnosis, including the people outside. Goku was about to make his move until all of a sudden they were falling on the ground, not expecting at all these turn of events.

"The seven seas have always been my paradise.  
A place where all the love in my heart is realized.  
Even after,  
a night in the storm,  
The joy in my heart,  
can always be reborn.  
Listen to the melody of seven lands.  
It will always be here till the very end.  
Even if no one remembers this,  
I won't forget.  
Legend of the sea."

"Loving power of the mermaids!" The three mermaids simultaneously pointed at Yuri as a finishing move. "How about an encore?"

"Argh! Rest assured that I will make you pay for this!" Yuri threatened as she disappeared, retreating into Gaito's castle.

"What in the world just happened? One minute they were brainwashed and now they fell unconscious." Goku asked himself, rubbing his head in confusion. At least he is relieved that they are safe, but what was more confusing is that the malicious energy he felt simply vanished. But then he remember about...

"Lucia." Goku said as he sprinted inside to find her, hoping that she wasn't hurt. But as he was looking around, he noticed her standing with Hanon, alive and well. This made him sigh in relief.

"Hey girls, are you okay?" Goku asked in slight worry. But Lucia and Hanon decided to play ignorant, not wanting to reveal their true identity.

"What do you mean?" Lucia asked bluntly. Goku sweat-dropped from her question.

"What? You didn't notice all those brainwashed people who were walking like zombies?" Goku asked in confusion. How come they haven't noticed it the entire time? He assumed that they were probably hypnotized as well and lost their memory. Lucia and Hanon on the other hand knew full well of that scary scenario. If it weren't for Rina's intervention, then they would have been pinned down by the possessed crowd and be captured by Yuri.

"Really? I don't remember." Lucia chuckled nervously. Hanon soon followed, nodding in agreement. Goku tilted his head in confusion, staring at them blankly. At least he was glad they were okay. With nothing left to do for the night, they all left home.

* * *

Two days later at Monday, Hanon and Lucia were hurrying to reach the school, because Lucia overslept. Meanwhile, Goku made his way towards the school as well, but as he was approaching the entrance, Rina was waiting for him, much to his surprise.

"Oh hi Rina." Goku smiled as he stopped in front of the girl.

"Goku, I want to thank you for helping me last night. I'm sorry I was being unfriendly towards you." Rina smiled. Her doubts about him disappeared after he saved her from the crowd surrounding her and she was feeling guilty for being so hostile towards someone as kind as him, despite his immense strength.

"Nah, it's okay, i'm just glad you were not hurt." Goku chuckled light-heartedly before he turned sideways. "Well, see ya at the class." He waved, smiling to her as he was departing, with Rina smiling back. She was now ashamed that she once thought that he was one of Gaito's enforcers. He seems like a genuine good guy, much like Lucia.

"Rina!" Someone called her name from the distance, breaking her out of her thoughts.

 _"Speaking of which..."_

"Good morning Rina!" Lucia and Hanon greeted her.

"Oh, good morning." Rina responded.

"So Rina, you are a mermaid princess as well? Neat." Lucia asked happily, really glad to find another princess to make friends with. But then the school bell was heard. "Oh no, we're gonna be late, let's go!" she exclaimed as she darted towards the school building. As soon as Lucia left, Hanon approached Rina.

"So, what do you think about the Pink Pearl princess?" Hanon smiled.

"Well, she is a bit clumsy." Rina smiled while stroking her hair, revealing the green ring that she is wearing. "Green ring for the Green Pearl princess. Honestly, that girl is incredible." Rina said as she looked towards the school grounds. Hanon merely smiled brightly in response. She was also glad to have Rina as a friend, much like Lucia, after getting to know her better. Then the two went to class before they were late.

Lucia and Hanon were getting to know Rina a lot better as she was now more open for conversation, already becoming the best of friends. Meanwhile, Goku was having his own conversation with Daichi and Kengo. The two suggested that he should try to surf some time and that it's a lot of fun, but he said that he might consider trying it in the future.

* * *

A few hours later, the sun was still shining high in the sky, as Lucia and the others have finished the school earlier than usual, much to their enjoyment. Lucia decided to help Nicole around by vacuuming the guest room while listening to the song of Jennifer Hewston on TV. Hanon on the other hand was just sitting on the chair, eating chips.

"I still can't understand why you are cleaning up the room when it's a beautiful day outside." Hanon said.

"I can't help it Hanon. At first I decided to help out Nicole, but she instead ordered me to do the cleaning. And besides, she seemed a little angry." Lucia frowned slightly. It's true that she would preferably go outside instead of being at the hotel, but Nicole can be pretty scary when she is frustrated, so she had no choice in the matter.

"But aren't you supposed to meet up with Goku?" Hanon asked curiously.

"Are you kidding me?" Lucia blushed in embarrassment as she looked at Hanon.

"Oh, you poor girl." Hanon let out a disappointing sigh as she was eating her chips. Sometimes Lucia would be completely lost if it weren't for hers and Rina's guidance.

"And what about you? Aren't you suppose to meet with Mr. Mitsuki?" Lucia pouted in frustration.

"Well Lucia, he is a pretty busy man and he can't go out anytime he wants." Hanon explained with cool attitude. It's ironic for Hanon, since she always thinks of nothing but spending time with him. Then Nicole entered the room.

"Lucia, are you done cleaning up?" she asked. Lucia simply nodded. "Oh and Hanon, if you have nothing else to do, you should help her out." She said in a commanding tone, making Hanon immediately stand up from her chair out of small fright.

"Wow, she can be really scary at times." Hanon gulped a bit. No wonder why Lucia couldn't say anything to her. But she noticed that Lucia wasn't paying attention as she was watching the TV news. Hanon joined her as well, curious what could distract her so much. The news show that a little pink dolphin named Momo was recently saved from being trapped in the river and was taken to the Aqua park where he would remain until he was fully recuperated, which after he would be sent back to the sea. This worried Lucia and Hanon a bit, as that dolphin was too smart to trap himself like that.

"Strange." Lucia suddenly said.

"What is it, Lucia?" Hanon asked curiously.

"I feel like that dolphin is calling out for me to help him." Lucia said as she stared at the dolphin. She knew that something was wrong, but she wasn't sure what at the moment.

"It looks like the trouble is coming." Madame Taki came out of nowhere, jumpscaring the girls at her sudden appearance.

"Madame Taki, where did you come from?" Hanon asked as she composed herself a bit. The old lady merely ignored her question and continued.

"If that dolphin isn't saved soon, it will take part of the troubles that will follow." She said grimly.

"Seriously?" Lucia asked in surprise. She knew she had to act now if she is to make a difference. "Hanon, let's go and see Momo." She said with determined look on her face. Hanon simply nodded in response.

* * *

Meanwhile, Goku didn't waste any time as he commenced his training as soon as he arrived home. He was going like this for half an hour until he heard a squeaking noise coming from the sea, as if someone was calling for him. He looked around and he found a pink dolphin looking at him from the sea.

"Oh, a dolphin. Well hey there, how are you?" Goku smiled as he waved at the dolphin. But the dolphin continued to squeak at Goku for some reason. After a few moments, Goku noticed that something was wrong. After all, he was hanging out with animals back at Mount Paozu long enough to understand what they are saying, but not in words.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Goku asked innocently. But the dolphin continued to squeak as she motioned to follow her. Goku had no idea what exactly was she troubled about, but it seems urgent. Moments later did Goku pick up on what she is trying to say and decided to help her out. After all, it wouldn't be the first time as he helped out a lot of animals in Mount Paozu before Bulma came along.

"Oh okay, I gotcha." Then he turned around to call for.. "FLYING NIMBUS!" he shouted to the sky as a familiar fluffy yellow cloud descended from the sky, immediately hopping on it before he stopped near the dolphin. "Okay, lead the way." He smiled. The dolphin simply squeaked before swimming away from the shore, leading Goku to the source of her troubles.

* * *

At the same time, Lucia and Hanon have arrived at the Aqua Park to check on Momo.

"Oh wow, look at all those people. Did they all come to see Momo?" Hanon asked, surprised at how many people had come to the park. Lucia then let out a disappointing sigh.

"It looks like there are all couples here." She frowned sadly as she looked at the crowd. She really wished she was here with Goku, so that they can spend some quality time together. Hanon was in the agreement, letting out a sigh of her own.

"How I wish I was here with Taro. But instead I'm here with you." She pouted at Lucia before turning away from her.

"Well thanks a lot. I wish I was here with Goku instead of you." Lucia frowned as she too turned her gaze away from her. But moments later they both sighed sadly again. "It looks like it's just two of us." She said. Hanon nodded in agreement.

"Nope. There is three of us." A familiar voice suddenly spoke. Lucia and Hanon turned around to see Hippo wearing a tuxedo and a top hat. "Did you really think I would leave you two alone? Who knows what you two mermaid princesses are capable of." He said as he crossed his arms.

"Umm, Hippo?" Lucia asked, confused by his outfit.

"What is it?" He asked.

"What's with the outfit and a top hat?" Hanon continued.

"Oh that. You will see soon enough." He answered. Lucia and Hanon just stared at him blankly for a few seconds. "Let's go and take our place in line."

After the trio finally entered, they were looking at the map to find where is Momo residing. But Hippo was looking for something else and he had found a penguin pool, much to Lucia's and Hanon's slight surprise.

"Oh I see. You actually came here to see the penguins, have you?" Lucia asked.

"Just admit it Hippo. You came to see the penguins?" Hanon started to tease Hippo while he was sweating profusely and being nervous that his plan was revealed. Moments later, he just snapped.

"So what?! I want to have some girl company once in a while myself. Do you have a problem with that?!" he yelled, making Hanon startle a bit.

"Well no, I don't mind." Hanon chuckled nervously before she smiled. "Well, there is this place that I wanna visit. Don't get lost Lucia." She said as she departed.

"Don't get lost Lucia. See ya." Hippo said as he too left, leaving Lucia alone, pouting at their statements.

"What's wrong with those two?" Lucia said to no one in particular.

Soon enough, Hanon had visited an area where there was a massive aquarium with all kinds of fish swimming about. This place reminded her of her home and of that fateful day when darkness descended on her kingdom. While her guards tried to hold off the invaders and evacuate the citizens, her servants have given Hanon enough time to make her own escape before she got herself imprisoned. Before she left, she watched from the distance as shadows started to engulf her home, destroying everything and everyone in its path, with screams of women and children alike echoing from the distance. Hanon could only watch in horror as tears started to flow from her eyes, powerless to do anything to protect her people. It was such a painful memory, memory that she would never allow to repeat itself again. And the only way to ensure her surviving people's safety is to defeat Gaito once and for all.

"Does it remind you of home?" A familiar voice broke Hanon from her thoughts. It was Rina. "It seems that this place brings back painful memories for both of us." She said. Hanon said nothing as she stared at the aquarium for a few moments before turning her attention to Rina.

"Why are you here?" Hanon asked curiously.

"I was worried about the stray dolphin that was recently brought here." Rina said.

"Just as I thought. So were we." Hanon said as she looked at Rina.

"It's just not normal for a smart dolphin like him to end up trapped in the river like that." Rina explained.

"Are you saying someone was involved in his capture?" Hanon asked.

"Very likely." Rina frowned slightly as she continued to look at the aquarium.

Rina's suspicions happen to be justified as there was a familiar, but sinister figure lurking in the shadows of Momo's underwater pool. It was Izure. The little dolphin cried for help, but no one answered.

"That's it, little dolphin. Your pathetic squealing will lure those mermaid princesses right into my trap." Izure said with a mischievous smirk as she was just waiting for her opportunity to strike.

Meanwhile, Goku followed the dolphin all the way to the aquarium on his Flying Nimbus, curious as to why the aquatic creature was in so much panic and in need of his help. Then dolphin stopped nearby and started to squeak towards the park. Goku looked at the building that she was squeaking at.

"You mean that building frightens you? Or something inside?" Goku asked curiously, but the dolphin merely continued to squeak. He honestly had no idea what was she referring to, but since she came to ask for his help all this way, he decided to investigate inside the compound and discover the source of her fears. The sooner he gets that done, the sooner he can continue his training.

At the same time, Hippo arrived at the penguin area. To his delight, there were all female penguins just waiting for him to make his appearance. But he was picked up by the man who takes care of penguins, thinking that Hippo was a stray who ran out of the pool and put him with the others.

Elsewhere, Lucia was walking alone, a little frustrated by what Hanon and Hippo said earlier.

"What's with those two? Underestimating me like that. 'Don't get lost, Lucia.' As if." She mumbled as she tried to mimic the blunt statement, but poorly. "I know how to read a map, so there is no way that I would get lost. That is… simply… impossible." She said as she started to slow down, then stopped as she came to an ironic conclusion. She actually got lost.

"I'm lost. I need to find a map." She whined. But as she was looking around, she didn't see the stairs and was falling down head first into the floor. She closed her eyes out of fear and braced herself for a painful impact, but to her surprise, she was caught in someone's bulky arms. She started to slowly open her eyes as she first saw a familiar orange shirt and black undershirt. She looked upwards to see a familiar face.

"Hi." A man with a goofy grin and spiky black hair said.

"Goku? What are you doing here?" Lucia blushed a bit, surprised that she was spared of having a big lump on her head.

"Just waiting for you to fall down the stairs, I guess." Goku snickered childishly, making Lucia blush red. She was held in his arms bridal style, almost making her snuggle on his warm chest. But seeing she was just fine, Goku put her down, much to her disappointment, as she really liked being in his warm embrace. But soon Lucia composed herself.

"So, what brings you here?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Well, while I was training, this pink dolphin appeared out of nowhere and she brought me to this place. She seemed really troubled as she wouldn't stop squeaking, so I came here to check this place out. Do you think there might be another dolphin around here? Could that be it?" Goku asked innocently.

"Well, we have heard about a baby pink dolphin that was brought here recently. Maybe she was looking for Momo?" Lucia asked him, though it was a strong possibility considering Momo's age.

"That's it!" he exclaimed "The dolphin outside must be Momo's mother. She probably just wants her baby back. Now it all makes sense." He smiled with a toothy grin with his hands behind his head. Lucia was amazed that he picked up on their troubles so quickly.

"Oh wow, I didn't know you can communicate with the dolphins." She smiled brightly.

"Well not really." Goku smiled.

"Goku, I'm impressed! You can actually sense what the dolphins feel?" Lucia said excitedly. She was amazed that he had that ability, even thought it was quite common among the mermaids. Goku chuckled a bit from her silly statement.

"Well no, but I can tell when the animals are troubled by something. Back in the mountains, they were my only friends before I went on my adventures." He smiled. Lucia was more amazed by him. Not only was he a skilled martial artist, but he could also communicate with animals. It was quite amazing considering he's a human.

"Well, ready to go and see the dolphin?" Goku smiled, turning sideways and gesturing with his thumb to go.

"Sure. Let's go." Lucia nodded, smiling brightly as she started walked next to Goku.

Meanwhile, Hippo was having a time of his life at the penguin pool.

"Now this is life, I could stay here forever." He smiled as he was sitting down, surrounded by a lot of female penguins. But moments later, a giant female penguin suddenly appeared, winking at Hippo. But he was scared to the core, thinking it was some kind of monster that was about to eat him alive. "Please don't eat me. Heeelp!" he yelled as he was picked up by a giant penguin.

Goku and Lucia have reached the pool where Momo resided. He was still underwater as he was afraid to come out.

"I only hope he's alright." Lucia said sadly. Goku smiled as he placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly, making Lucia blush a bit.

"Don't worry. I'm sure when he is reunited with his mother, he will be just fine." He said before he looked at the wall faced towards the sea. "Now we need a way to get Momo to the other side without getting into trouble."

Lucia looked at Goku before Momo appeared from the water.

"It's Momo." She said. Then Goku turned his attention to the dolphin.

"Hey there Momo. Do you miss your mother? Don't worry, we will get you out in no time." He smiled.

Then dolphin was squeaking repeatedly something to them. Goku could tell that he is frightened, but he can't tell what it was. Lucia on the other hand had decided for a different approach.

" _Momo, I am a mermaid princess. Please tell me what happened."_ She said telepathically. Momo was surprised to find a mermaid princess coming to the rescue.

" _Miss Lucia? The mermaid princess of the North Pacific?_ " he said.

" _That's right, i came here to help you. I want to bring you back to your mother_." Lucia said The dolphins expression was sad again.

" _The water demons separated me from my mommy. And now i am all alone._ "

" _The water demons?!"_ she exclaimed inwardly. She suspected that they were involved in his separation from his mother, but now he confirmed her suspicions.

" _Yes. I want my mommy_." He was sadder by the thought of being separated like this.

" _Cheer up and don't worry. I promise i will reunite you soon."_ She reassured the dolphin.

Meanwhile, Goku picked up what was going on during their conversation. He didn't exactly hear their telepathic communication, but judging by Lucia's serious expression, followed by the one of shock, he knew that something was wrong. He was about to ask her what was the deal, but was interrupted by the announcement message.

" **Attention to all the visitors. The show with the dolphins will commence soon at the main pool.** " The voice said. But at the control room, two men were put to sleep by none other than Izure.

"Better hurry, mermaid princesses. This time I will capture you and your pearls." She smirked mischievously before she slightly growled. "And if that spiky-haired freak ever shows up, I will tear him into pieces."

Soon after the announcement, Izure hid in the pool's deeps so she can spawn her water dragons to intimidate the crowd, luring the mermaids and possibly Goku as well. Goku and Lucia frowned as they looked right for the source of the troubles. Momo was frozen in place that the water demon appeared again, squeaking for them to do something.

" _The water demons. I should have known sooner that they were responsible for this."_ Lucia thought. Even though she can't sense energy like Goku, she could tell that they are the only ones who are hunting for the mermaids.

" _I sense a dark power level that appeared in the pool not far from here. But why does it feel so familiar?"_ he thought. He couldn't exactly tell why until he remembered his fight with the Dark Lovers days ago. " _It looks like they are here to cause trouble again. To make things worse, a lot of innocent people are now in danger._ " He growled silently at the potential danger to the people at the pool. Before Lucia could act, Goku reacted sooner.

"Listen Lucia, I need you to stay here and don't move. Keep an eye on Momo." Goku said in a serious, but concerned voice.

"Why Goku? What's going on?" Lucia asked, even though she already knew the reason.

"It looks like trouble. I'll be right back." Goku said as he rushed to the pool to face his opponent.

"Goku." Lucia frowned sadly before her expression switched to serious one, determined to help him this time. Moments later, she ran after him, but he was running too fast for her, so she first decided to find Hanon and Rina.

"Lucia!" the two voices shouted from the distance.

"Hanon. Rina, we have a problem. It seems one of the water demons had appeared in the main pool and is causing trouble." Lucia frowned seriously.

"What?" Hanon said, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Just as I thought. We need to hurry." Rina frowned. Lucia and Hanon nodded in agreement.

Goku had already reached the main pool by the time the mermaids were on the move. He noticed that there were several water dragons intimidating the crowd, almost getting close to devouring them one by one. He immediately dashed and attacked one of the dragons, elbowing him in the head, disintegrating into small puddles of water. Then he rushed to the next one, kicking it in the jaw, also disintegrating as he kicked through the dragon. He spinned backwards before he jumped into the central platform of the pool to face his foe, standing sideways before he sensed the water demon.

"It appears there is only one of them, hiding deep underwater. Guess I'll just have to swim down and put an end to this." Goku said to himself before he jumped in the water.

As Goku was nearing the source of the energy, he noticed a familiar figure. He realized it was that Dark Lover named Izure. She was the one who has the power to conjure those dragons. He then assumed his fighting pose, ready to fight her. Izure growled as she faced a man who humiliated her during their fight.

"So you have shown yourself at last, human. I thought I would capture the mermaid princesses today, but destroying you will be all the more enjoyable." Izure grinned wickedly.

 _"Mermaid princesses? What is she talking about?_ " Goku thought, raising his eyebrow in confusion.

"I will make you pay for what you have done to me! Do you hear me?!" Izure shouted, her anger rising rapidly as she had flashbacks of her confrontation with her master Gaito.

 _Gaito was sitting on his throne, holding a glass of wine in his hand, with Izure kneeling before him._

 _"I need their pearls. The light that they radiate. For without them, this place will forever remain in darkness. Is there any woman who can fulfill my wishes and douse the sorrow that I feel?" He said to Izure, trying to give her the incentive to complete her mission._

" _My lord, I will be the one to bring you those mermaid princesses. Believe me, I will…"_

" _Forget about it. Begone." Gaito said disappointingly as he cut her off mid-sentence, in the end giving up from his hopeless idea._

" _But, master Gaito.."  
_

 _"There are many out there that can replace you." Gaito said coldly as he interrupted her again. Izure was severely hurt by his statement of making her expendable._

Izure's rage increased even further. She will not fail his master again.

"Now die!" she shouted as she unleashed her dragons on Goku. He caught one of the dragons jaws while upside down, not noticing that his power pole accidentally unsheathed and was sinking to the bottom of the pool. Goku was too focused on the fight to notice as he ripped the jaws of one dragon before kicking the other. But Izure had just started as she unleashed more dragons to devour Goku whole, but the young warrior nimbly dodged the dragons, much to Izure's growing annoyance and frustration.

" _Alright, it's time to fight on an even ground_." Goku thought as he surfaced from the pool like a torpedo, spinning forward a few times before he landed nimbly on the central platform. But that didn't stop Izure's attack, as her conjured dragons surfaced as well, attacking the young warrior soon after.

Meanwhile, Lucia, Hanon and Rina finally arrived at the pool. They were about to swim underwater until they noticed Goku standing at the platform.

"Look, it's Goku." Hanon said, pointing at the platform. Lucia gasped in shock as Goku was surrounded by several water dragons attacking in all directions.

"Oh noo! Goku!" Lucia shouted as she tried to run and help him, but was caught by Rina.

"No Lucia, wait!" Rina exclaimed

"Let me go, Rina! Goku is in trouble!" Lucia yelled, desperately trying to go and help him.

"Use your head Lucia! If Goku sees you transform into a mermaid, then you will turn into a sea foam!" Rina exclaimed. Lucia stopped, but couldn't hold a lone tear that escaped her right eye.

"Besides, he seems to have everything under control. See?" Rina pointed at the warrior. Lucia watched in surprise as Goku destroyed one dragon after another with series of punches and kicks.

"Don't worry Lucia. If he gets in trouble, we will go and help him without revealing our identities." Hanon reassured her. Lucia reluctantly stayed with them, looking at Goku sadly while placing her left hand on her beating heart. She knew from his last battle that he can handle himself against Izure, but still the thought of losing him was too much for her to bear.

Izure is depleting her energy fast as Goku was destroying her conjurations one after another. Losing her patience and self-control, she surfaced to confront him.

"So, are you finally in the mood for a real fight?" Goku said with a battle-ready smirk, clenching his fists sideways.

"How dare you toy with me human?! I'm gonna destroy you here and now!" Izure shouted, now more enraged than before. Then she used all of the remaining energy as she conjured a massive water dragon that can devour half of the pool.

"Wow, look at the size of that thing!" Rina exclaimed in surprise.

"We need to move. Goku is in trouble." Hanon said to Rina in a serious tone. Lucia nodded as well, but they were stopped in their tracks by Goku's next move.

"This is the end for you, human. Make most of these last moments of your life." Izure threatened as she unleashed her dragon on Goku. But he was just standing with a smirk on his face. Finally he had found a suitable target for his first and favorite technique: The Kamehameha Wave.

" _Let's see if she likes this."_ Goku thought as he cupped his hands together before putting them to his sides. "Kaaaa… Meeee.."

The mermaids wondered what could he be possibly doing at a time like this. They were all silent as they watched what he was about to do, hoping whatever it is would be effective. Izure raised her eyebrow in confusion as he took a strange stance.

"What is that fool doing? He is taking my attack head on?" Izure asked herself before she smirked. "The fool, it's his funeral."

"Haaa… Meeee…" he continued to pour enough energy into the attack to completely evaporate the dragon. His palms started to glow a bright blue, signifying that his attack was ready to be unleashed.

"HAAAAA!" Goku shouted as he unleashed his signature technique at the conjured dragon. As soon as it made contact, it went through the dragon, completely evaporating it and continued to go until it evaporated itself into nothingness.

The crowd was dumbfounded by the fight. They all thought it was a part of the show, some special effects that none of them expected. But the mermaids knew better and for that reason they were shaken to the core of how Goku again managed to completely surprise them. Just when they thought they have seen everything in his last fight, he keeps amazing them with every technique and level of strength he displays in every fight. The shocked Izure was panting heavily as she depleted all of her energy into that last attack.

" _How is this possible? He completely destroyed my dragon without even breaking a sweat_." Izure thought as she looked at Goku, standing there casually with that same, annoying smirk ever since the start of the fight. " _He unleashed that devastating blast that had enough power to overpower my attack and yet he is not even breathing hard."_

"Give up, Izure. You are tired and out of energy. There is no need to continue this fight, you will only get yourself hurt." Goku said sternly. Izure growled at the painful truth. She was completely outmatched and fatigued to continue the fight.

"I will destroy you one day, human. Mark my words!" Izure exclaimed as she disappeared from the battlefield, back to Gaito's castle.

The crowd, thinking that it was all just a show, applauded and cheered to Goku. He was dumbfounded that they thought this wasn't real, but he was at least glad that they were all safe. He merely gave them a toothy grin and two-finger victory sign before he jumped to the stairs leading outside the pool. Lucia, Hanon and Rina ran to Goku to check if he was unharmed.

"Goku, are you alright?" Lucia asked worryingly as she stopped in front of him.

"Yeah, I'm feeling great." Goku said cheerfully. He was happy that he had a proper fight to make his day. It wasn't nearly a challenge for him, but he was satisfied nonetheless.

Then the pink dolphin jumped from the other side of the wall to reunite with her son. Momo immediately darted to her, ending in a touching reunion, followed by yet another applause from the crowd. Goku, Lucia, Hanon and Rina smiled at the two dolphins.

"You did it Goku. They are reunited again." Lucia smiled brightly.

"I just did the right thing, that's all." Goku smiled warmly,

"If we exclude the fact that the dolphin dragged you here in the first place." Lucia teased a bit.

"Yeah, i guess so." Goku laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his head before he returned his attention to the two dolphins. Lucia's heart flutter again as she looked at his cute, caring expression. While it's true that they were more than capable of defeating Izure, she was glad to see Goku fight again and in turn, saved Momo from the water demon. She looked back at the dolphin before it was time to release them back into the sea.

Several minutes later, they have found Hippo who didn't look so well, with his tuxedo ragged and his top hat gone.

"I am so angry at you, how could you forget about me?! Why didn't you come to rescue me? I needed help too, you know!" Hippo yelled as streams of tears flowed from his eyes, scared to the core of what happened to him back at the penguin pool.

"I'm sorry Hippo, i didn't know you were trapped at the penguin pool." Hanon sweat-dropped as she apologized to the penguin. He was at first very excited at the idea of going there, but seeing him ragged like that, she felt sorry for him.

"But Hippo, they are all females. I bet you would be a hit there." Rina said, trying to make Hippo feel better.

"I was at first, but then… I don't want to even remember what happened after that!" Hippo cried like a baby as more streams of tears flowed, trying to forget about the traumatic experience back at the penguin area. Hanon asked him what was it about exactly, but Hippo didn't want to even think about it, let alone answer her question.

"Hey Rina, where did Lucia go?" Hanon asked curiously.

"I dunno. But they have closed the compound by now, haven't they?" Rina asked, also wondering where could she have gone.

Meanwhile, Goku was making his way out of the building.

"Well, I guess I better go home." Goku said to himself with his hands behind his head. "I only hope I will fight some challenging opponents in the future, because Izure wasn't that strong. I know the fight with Piccolo will be tough, but still..." Then Goku stopped as he noticed that something was missing on his back. "What the… Where is…" He noticed that something was missing in his scabbard. "Oh no, my power pole is gone!" he panicked as he searched every corner of the hallway in comedic fashion, until moments later he stopped and laughed nervously. "Oh yeah, it must have dropped in the pool where I was fighting. Well, i better go get it." He relaxed as he ran to the main pool.

When he reached the pool, he jumped in to search for it. After a few minutes of searching, he had finally found it resting at the very bottom of the pool.

 _"Phew. I gotta be more careful, there is no telling when I'll need it again._ " Goku thought as he sheathed his faithful weapon. Then all of a sudden, a bright light appeared from behind him. He turned around to see who it was, preparing himself for a possible fight, but to his surprise, it was a pink mermaid with two long pigtails again. How did she appear here of all places?

"Goku." She said in gentle and soothing voice as she was slowly approaching him.

" _What in the world? It's you!_ " Goku thought as he smiled brightly. He opened his mouth wide, almost as if wanted to say something, but the mermaid merely put a finger on his lips as a sign of silence.

"Please, don't say anything." She said. Goku could only stare at her blankly as she was slowly getting closer and closer to him. "Goku. My dearest Goku. I love you." The mermaid said.

Goku was now more confused than before. He too likes her and he doesn't wanna see her hurt, but he had the idea that she means something else entirely, though he didn't know exactly what it was.

"Please Goku. Hurry and find me." She said as she was slowly approaching him. Goku was getting more nervous by the second. What is she planning to do and why is she looking at him like that?

And before he knew it, he was kissed by the mermaid on the lips. His eyes were wide open in shock and surprise. This is a completely new sensation for him that he had never experienced in his life before. It was like eating a Senzu bean, but the effect is more powerful. It made him so warm from the inside and his entire body was filled with indescribable energy. Moments later, he closed his eyes as well, embracing himself in the kiss. Then the mermaid broke the kiss, disappearing in yet another bright light.

But then Goku remembered that he needed air. His face was all blue as he immediately swam to the surface, heavily breathing after all that happened down there. What was more strange is that he couldn't sense her energy at all in the pool. It's like she just vanished into thin air. He tilted his head in confusion at what happened. But then Goku's stomach started to growl, making him chuckle light-heartedly.

"Well, time to go and get a bite to eat." Goku said cheerfully as he jumped from the water and made his way outside.

Several minutes later, as Goku left the building, he made his way home walking near the beach.

"Goku!" A familiar voice called out to him. He turned around to see who it was.

"Hi Lucia. I thought you went home with Hanon and Rina." Goku smiled.

"Yeah I know, but I wanted to check if you are feeling alright." Lucia asked worryingly, though that wasn't really the reason why she came to him.

"Don't worry, I'm feeling just fine." Goku smiled as he pounded his right chest. But then a squeaking noise was heard from the sea.

"Look, its Momo." Lucia said cheerfully.

" _Princess Lucia, thank you for your help. Thanks to you, I am with my mommy again._ " Momo said telepathically to Lucia.

" _I appreciate your gratitude little one, but you should thank Goku instead. He was the one who defeated the water demon._ " She smiled as she looked at Goku. Goku then took a step forward.

"Hi Momo. You must be really happy to be with your mommy again, are you?" Goku smiled brightly at their reunion.

"Wow Goku, you can really communicate with the dolphins, can you?" Lucia smiled.

"Like I said, I don't know what they are saying, but I can tell by the look on their faces how they feel. Well, kind of." Goku chuckled light-heartedly, rubbing the back of his head. Lucia merely looked at him, who was looking happy by the dolphins being together again.

" _Goku, If you can tell Momo's feelings, I wonder if you can tell mine?_ " Lucia thought to herself, blushing a bit. Goku turned his attention to Lucia, looking at her blankly because for some reason she was staring at him. Lucia panicked for a second before quickly composing herself.

"Umm nothing, its nothing." She smiled nervously as she quickly looked down in embarrassment. He tilted his head in confusion, but he quickly shrugged it as no big deal. Then he looked at the dolphins again.

"See ya Momo. Don't go too far from your mother this time, okay?" He said cheerfully as he waved his hand goodbye to the departing dolphins. "Bye!"

"Bye Momo. Take care of yourself!" Lucia shouted cheerfully as well, also waving goodbye.

" _If only Goku knew that I was the mermaid_." She thought to herself as she was looking at the dolphins disappearing on the horizon before turning attention to Goku. This man was truly extraordinary. So carefree and yet so powerful. Lucia then closed her eyes and smiled.

 _"Oh well, I guess only time will tell when my emotions will get through to him. I only hope that we will be together as a couple one day."_ She thought as she was looking at the horizon along with Goku, as the sun sets on yet another exiting day. But Lucia had the feeling that she is yet to see what Goku is truly capable of in the future.


	4. Chapter 4

~Cold Reception~

Three days later, deep beneath the sea, Gaito is scheming on how to capture the mermaid princesses and claim their pearls. But the incompetence of his servants does not ease his nerves. If he wasn't forced to remain within his castle, he would have captured the mermaids himself and destroy that pitiful human who is also giving them trouble. But then he decided to summon the fourth and final water demon and imbued her with the cruel powers of ice to freeze the mermaids solid and finally claim the pearls he desired.

He was lounging in the bath house, waiting for his servant to come. He was certain that she will definitely be the one who will accomplish the task at hand and finally give him the power to rule the seven seas. He smiled as his servant silently approaches him. This Dark Lover is a girl with long blonde hair who wears teal dress with icy shards decorating her waist and ears.

"Maria, I am grateful that you came." Gaito said.

"What did you expect? This is my mission, after all." Maria smiled.

"Is that all?" Gaito smirked as Maria sat next to him, caressing his face.

"I have heard that you only captured two mermaid princesses so far." Maria said.

"They will be mine sooner or later. I am just going easy on them, that's all." Gaito closed his eyes as he smirked with calm bravado.

"Maybe, but your other servants were not up to the task, were they?" Maria smirked as she picked up one of the roses floating in the pool, freezing it solid with her breath. Gaito chuckled mischievously at that.

"You are as cold as ever, i am looking forward to see what you will do." Gaito smirked as he sipped more wine.

"Don't worry, my lord. I will freeze the hearts of those mermaids for you. And of that human that is giving you so much trouble." Maria said, making Gaito frown seriously at the last statement.

"You may deal with that human as you please, but your priority is to capture the mermaid princesses and collect their pearls. See it done." Gaito ordered. Maria smirked as she nodded silently, standing up and leaving to fulfill her master's command.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lucia and Hanon have heard of a mermaid legend that was recently a hot topic around the school, which really caught their interest, considering the girls were all excited about it. But there was one person that they could get more information on the subject and that person was Nicole.

"Nicole, can you please tell us about the mermaid legend? The one where the mermaid saved a human?" Lucia asked excitedly. Nicole was not surprised by that question. It was only a matter of time before they found out as well.

"Well my dears, the old legend happened in ancient times, in the time where the mermaid princess was in love with a human. There was a fierce storm that threatened to engulf a lone sailor on the boat. The mermaid, who was secretly in love with the man, risked her life and turning into a sea foam to help him. With her candle, she guided him into a cave where he would be safe from the storm." Nicole smiled.

"She risked her life to save a man she loves?" Lucia asked.

"How romantic." Lucia and Hanon said simultaneously, cupping their hands and daydreaming about their respective love interests, Goku and Taro.

"But due to the cave being always full of water, it was only possible for mermaids to enter. But once a year, even humans can enter the cave. " Nicole smiled.

"Is that really true?" Lucia asked excitedly.

"Yes. It is said if a woman carves her name and the one she loves on the candle, despite the water that will fill the cave, the love between the two will continue to blossom." Nicole continued.

"Oh wow! Can you please tell us the exact date on when will the water withdraw from the cave?" Hanon asked, also excited by the legend. It would be a great opportunity to carve hers and Taro's name, so she might have a chance of romance with him.

"Well, believe it or not, it will happen tomorrow." Nicole said happily. Lucia and Hanon held both of their hands and squeed for a second or two in excitement. They couldn't believe that they would have a chance to light their love candles so soon.

"But wait, what happened to the mermaid? Was her love requited, are they together now?" Lucia asked excitedly.

"Who knows?" Nicole shrugged. Not even she knew all the details about it.

"What do you mean? That is the most important part." Lucia complained childishly. It couldn't possibly be it.

"Of course it is. She turned into sea foam because she revealed herself to a human." Hippo added, which made Lucia and Hanon frown sadly a bit.

"I don't believe you. It couldn't end like that, otherwise it wouldn't be a legend." Hanon said.

"Well, I'm sure they ended up together." Lucia smiled, but it only irritated Hippo a bit by her imagination.

Then Madame Taki entered the room, which startled the four a bit.

"Ohh, I can see more clearly than ever before. An igniting flame of love." Madame Taki said as she held her green crystal ball aloft.

"It must be the flame of love of me and Goku." Lucia smiled as she took the ball and looked at it intently.

"Don't be silly." Hanon said as she took the ball from Lucia. "It's a flame of love of me and Taro, that's for sure."

"No, it's mine." Lucia frowned slightly as she tried to take the ball from Hanon. The girls pulled the ball to one another, trying to take it from the other. Nicole sighed slghtly at their silly argument.

"Honestly girls, can you just go to the cave and both light the candles?" Nicole suggested. Lucia and Hanon looked at Nicole with blank expressions for a few moments before they smiled.

"Yes, you are right." Lucia said cheerfully. "Here, you may have the ball." She said as she pushed the ball to Hanon.

"No, you can have it." Hanon said as she too tried to give the ball to Lucia, but it again started with an argument as they shoved the ball to one another again. Nicole sighed deeply again. It was like babysitting a couple of two-year olds, let alone mermaid princesses.

* * *

A few hours later, Lucia went to watch Goku train at his usual training spot at the beach away from the city. Goku was practicing his fighting techniques and doing acrobatics so he can completely adjust to the weighted clothing he is wearing, unknown to Lucia.

" _Okay, I'm going to light that candle for me and Goku in the legendary cave and then he will fall in love with me_." Lucia thought as she cupped her hands in amazement of his training. He was spinning backwards and dashed forward, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks that are too fast for Lucia to count. He then flipped forward a few times before he dashed onto a boulder and jumped high in the sky, performing whirlwind kick as he descended down with a back flip.

Goku then sat down and paused to catch his breath. He started to train a lot earlier and now he had to take a break, so he doesn't overexert himself. He was taught that pushing his limits is essential to get stronger, but not to the point of damaging his body, which is why a brief rest is needed from time to time.

"Hi Goku!" Lucia waved cheerfully. Goku heard a familiar voice and turned around to see that it was none other than Lucia.

"Hi Lucia, how are you?" Goku said cheerfully.

"I'm fine, thanks. I just came here to watch you train." Lucia smiled brightly.

"Well right now, I'm having a little break from all that training." Goku said as he was sitting down to catch his breath. "Phew, it can be intense sometimes." He smiled as he sighed a bit, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"You really love to train, do you?" Lucia smiled as she sat next to him, though inside she was a bit worried that he might hurt himself if he trained too much.

"Yeah. About as much as I love to eat." Goku laughed a bit. There was nothing more enjoyable for him then pushing his limits and eating until his stomach is full. It was actually two out of four tenets of the Turtle School that he enjoyed following: Eat well and train well. Sleeping well is also on the list, but studying well... not so much.

Lucia smiled, blushing a bit as she looked towards the horizon. She just can't wait to light that candle tomorrow, so that she may become his girlfriend. The sooner she gets that done, the better. Goku looked at her blankly as she was looking at the sea in thought.

"What's wrong, Lucia?" Goku asked curiously. Lucia broke from her daydreaming after his question. She was into her thoughts longer then she originally wanted.

"Oh nothing, I was just thinking about something." Lucia smiled as she blushed slightly.

"About what?" Goku asked.

"Well, I'm planning to go tomorrow to the legendary mermaid cave." She said happily with closed eyes. She is so excited that she simply can't wait for tomorrow. As for Goku was rather confused. He never heard of this mermaid cave before, but it seems to make Lucia very happy for reasons he is yet to find out.

"Mermaid cave? What is that?" Goku asked blankly. Lucia sweat-dropped at his question and sighed disappointingly. This man is maybe a brilliant fighter, but he is completely dense when it comes to romantic things. But before Goku could question further, a rain drop suddenly fell on his face. It was starting to rain and it will soon turn into a storm.

"Ahh man, why does it have to rain now?" Goku whined childishly as he stood up. This was the last thing he needed today. He really looked forward to train more, but the weather makes it more difficult, as the wind started to blow now.

"Lucia, there is a cave nearby, so we can hide there till the rain stops. Let's go!" He said as he ran to the cave not far from the beach.

"Goku, wait for me!" Lucia yelled as she quickly caught up with him.

Goku and Lucia have reached the cave all wet, the heavy rain is to be blamed for that. Goku could have reached the cave, or his home for that matter in a blink of an eye, but he didn't want to leave Lucia behind. As for Lucia, she was trembling from the cold worsened from being soaking wet. Though the other reason is her fear of transforming in front of Goku. She couldn't understand why that wasn't the case, but she thanked Aqua Regina with all her heart that she didn't transform. It would have been a disaster and she would end up turning into sea foam.

"Cold. Very c-c-cold." Lucia said, trembling to the core.

"Don't worry, I have a few stuff stashed in here for storms like this." Goku smiled as he lifted a large boulder, revealing a hole with a large chest. When he opened it, it had everything he needed for these situations: A sheet to lie down, a blanket and some spare clothes, also with a few snacks to pass the time till the weather settles. Though he only comes here when the storm suddenly erupts and it was a good place to relax, other than in his home.

"Well, I don't have any spare clothes for you, but you still need to remove yours before you catch a nasty cold. Here you go." Goku smiled as he tossed a large blanket to Lucia.

"Thank you, Goku." Lucia said as she looked at the blanket. But then she blushed red as her mind processed all that he said. " _What?! Remove my clothes?!_ " she thought. Then she looked at Goku who was removing his own clothes to put on the spare ones. He removed his shirt first before he went to remove his pants next. Lucia blushed even more as she averted her gaze from him in embarrassment.

After Lucia removed her own clothes, she was completely naked with only her blanket on. Goku would give her his undershirt, but it was meant for his training and the fact that it was too heavy would most likely crush her. After he put on his spare pants and his boots who were pretty much dry, he put on a campfire to warm themselves up and to dry their wet clothes, especially Lucia's, considering she didn't had anything else to wear.

Goku was lying down on his sheet, staring blankly at the ceiling, with his legs crossed and arms behind his head. So much for his all-out training, he was really looking forward of pushing his limits, but it seems the weather was not in his favor today. Even though it is a bummer, when these minor setbacks occur, he still performs a few exercises at home. He simply can't imagine a day without exerting his energy.

Lucia was still blushing red as she looked at Goku. The situation was so embarrassing, she never would have thought she would find herself with nothing but blanket to cover her nude body in front of her crush. But she was also rather confused by his silence as he continued to look at the ceiling blankly.

" _Why is Goku so silent? This is the perfect opportunity. We are here all alone and he doesn't say anything. I don't know what to do."_ Lucia thought. But determined to break this awkward silence and discover if he is even remotely close to discovering her identity, she decided to speak out first.

"Goku, you told me once that you went on many adventures to find the Dragon Balls, right?" Lucia asked.

"Yeah? Why do you ask?" Goku asked as he glanced towards her curiously, not moving from his spot. Lucia had to choose her words carefully without telling him outright that she is the mermaid. One slip and it will be all over for her.

"Well, uhm… Were they all dangerous?" Lucia asked.

"Well, some were pretty dangerous. I mean, there were some bad people who wanted to use the Dragon Balls for their own selfish desires." Goku looked at the ceiling blankly before he looked back at Lucia. "Some of them were close calls, but it was all worth it in the end." He chuckled as he scratched his left chin.

He had many exciting fights and the list was too long for count, but the examples were General Blue and Mercenary Tao. Though King Piccolo was his greatest challenge, that memory was not pleasant at all, as it ended up with deaths of Krillin and Master Roshi. He decided not to go into details about it, so he wouldn't worry Lucia and just stick to simple answers.

"What do you mean, close calls? Did they try to kill you?!" Lucia exclaimed with sad voice. How could anyone try to kill a child? Her heart was aching just thinking about it.

"Relax Lucia, that was many years ago. And besides, even though they were really strong opponents, I managed to beat them." Goku shrugged with a smile as he got up in sitting position with his legs folded. "But, to be honest, being beaten in a fight would be much more tolerable then the accident I had seven years ago." He said, frowning a bit while looking down on the floor.

"What do you mean?" Lucia said in slight surprise. Could it be that he is referring to that time when he almost drowned? If it weren't for her, then it would definitely be the case.

"Well, back then while I was fishing, a giant wave crashed on me and destroyed my boat. I was so tired and so hungry that I couldn't withstand the force of the tide. And believe it or not, I was actually saved by a pink mermaid." Goku smiled slightly. He only wished she wasn't so mysterious, it would have been a lot easier if she appeared often and even though he thanked her for saving his life that one time she appeared, he had a feeling that he owed her much more than simple gratitude.

"It's that same girl I mentioned you before. You know, the one with a beautiful voice?" Goku smiled before he looked back at the ceiling thoughtfully with folded arms."I wonder who she really is, it would have been great to at least know her name."

Lucia was getting more frustrated by his stupidity. She knew the whole story because she was there. And yet he still didn't figure out her true identity by himself.

" _Goku, sometimes you are so dense. That mermaid was me!"_ She thought angrily as she clutched her pendant out of frustration.

"You are an idiot!" Lucia exclaimed as she stood up.

"Huh?" Goku said, completely confused at her sudden outburst.

"What could you possibly know about love, Goku? In fact, you just can't stop thinking about her. And of her 'beautiful voice'" she mocked. "You are chasing some illusion, that girl doesn't even exist."

Goku had no idea at all what was she frustrated about, but he didn't like the tone of her voice and her words seem to struck a nerve a tad bit.

"If she was an illusion, then why am I still here, Lucia?" Goku frowned seriously as he was standing up. She was starting to get frightened by his rather serious expression. What has gotten into him?

"I'm not gonna let you belittle a person who saved my life, so don't you dare say that she is an illusion!" Goku yelled, louder then he originally intended to. Lucia started to tremble a bit by his shouting, biting her lower lip out of fear. Noticing the fear in her eyes, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply before he looked at her with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry Lucia, you didn't deserve that." Goku said remorsefully as he look outside the cave at the rain. "It's just... It's impossible that she was just an imagination. If so, then I would have drowned for sure that day." He said as he then looked back at her again. Seeing that she was still relatively shaken, he sighed in regret as he looked back at the rain again. He now felt really bad and decided not to talk about it anymore and simply wait for the rain to stop.

They didn't speak for half an hour after that conversation. The reasons were because Lucia was afraid of him being angry again and Goku feeling guilty for snapping at her for reasons even he doesn't know. Then after the rain stopped, they both went their separate ways.

Goku couldn't understand why he was so angry. She merely said things that anyone else would say. In truth, if he didn't see it with his own eyes, then he would definitely agree with Lucia that the mermaid was just his imagination. But in the last couple of days, the mermaid appeared more than once. And to top it all off, the mermaid's kiss at the pool was far too real to be just an illusion. Still, Lucia was too kind and gentle to be treated like that. She was merely concerned about him and all he did was yell at her. He decided to call it a day and go home. He will go tomorrow to find this mermaid cave she mentioned and apologize to her again.

It would appear that the mermaid affected him in more ways than one, especially after that kiss. Sure he befriended many girls in his adventures and he saved Bulma plenty of times during their hunt for the Dragon Balls, but this was a completely different experience. He was never troubled this much. On one hand, he started to take a liking to Lucia. They had a blast at the Spring festival and at a Pie contest and had a great time. But on the other hand, he also liked the mermaid, even though she doesn't appear that often. But his head was starting to ache from these mind numbing thoughts as he decided to just drop the subject and take a nap. Too much thinking would just make his head explode.

At the same time, Lucia was sitting on the beach alone, staring sadly on the ground and contemplating on her conversation with Goku in the cave.

" _Why did he snap like that? I'm so confused. Does he really like the mermaid and not me as Lucia?_ " sLucia thought as tears formed in her eyes.

"Lucia?" A voice called for her from her left side. It was Rina's voice. "Why are you sitting here all alone? Why are you crying?" She asked curiously with slight concern. But Lucia only looked at her sadly before she started to cry loudly on her chest. She continued like this for half an hour before Rina calmed her down. Then Lucia told her of what happened with Goku at the cave when the rain started.

"So, that was bothering you." Rina said. Lucia nodded silently. "That Goku. Just because he's a strong fighter, doesn't mean he can treat you like that." she said angrily. Rina quickly became her best friend along with Hanon and she too cares for Lucia and her feelings.

"No wait, it's not entirely his fault!" Lucia quickly defended Goku before she frowned sadly and looked down at the sand again. "I also said some bad things to him, so we are both to be blamed." She said as she closed her eyes. She felt bad for saying those things to Goku. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't compare her human and mermaid forms. Then Rina smiled as she turned her attention to Lucia.

"Listen, Hanon told me that you two are going tomorrow at the mermaid cave. You could go and light the candle there, that might fix the damage between you and Goku." Rina smiled. After her words, Lucia was beaming with hope and joy.

"You are right! And besides, I'm not gonna give up like that." Lucia smiled. Like Rina said, lighting the candle will fix the damage she had with Goku, so she can't wait for tomorrow to come.

* * *

The next day, Lucia, Hanon and Rina went to the legendary mermaid cave to light their candles, excluding Rina, who had no interest in love related things. When they arrived, there were a lot of girls who also traveled there to light their own candles, who carved their names and the names of their loved ones, praying that the mermaid of legend would fulfill their desires. The trio had jumped from one stone to another and reached the entrance of the cave.

"So, this must be the mermaid cave?" Lucia asked herself as she checked the entrance.

"Wow, look at all those girls." Rina said in amazement of the number of the girls that came with their candles. Hanon and Lucia have also turned their attention to them. The girls had a chat with each other how one boy confessed his love after their friend lit her candle. This beamed their hopes to great extent, including Lucia and Hanon.

"Well Lucia, it seems that the legend of the mermaid love is true. Come on, let's go inside." Hanon suggested, eager to light her own candle.

"Yeah. But…" Lucia hesitated, showing signs of doubt on her face.

"What is it, Lucia?" Hanon asked, a bit irritated that she is hesitating to enter now that she is here.

" _I am in the similar situation like the mermaid from the story. I wonder what really happened to her._ " Lucia thought as she feared that her story might end up tragically, especially after her fight with Goku yesterday.

"Here Lucia." Hanon said as she extended a pink candle, snapping Lucia out of her thoughts. "You take the pink candle and I'll take the blue one, okay?" she smiled.

"Hanon." Lucia said, a little surprised at how she managed to find a pink candle for her.

"Lucia, pick up the pace before another girl carves Goku's name on her candle and ruin everything for you." Hanon teased Lucia, thought it will definitely be the case if she doesn't hurry.

"Hey, they better not do that." Lucia smiled brightly, blushing a bit as she took the pink candle from Hanon.

"Exactly." Hanon smiled, with Rina nodding in response. Then the girls laughed light-heartedly to each other before Lucia looked at her candle.

" _Thank you, Hanon and Rina. I will put my heart and soul on this candle._ " Lucia thought as she smiled gently before proceeding to enter the cave, followed by Hanon and Rina.

The trio entered the cave, which was surprisingly big from the inside. Then they saw many lights illuminating the cave as they went deeper inside. They were amazed that there were dozens of candles lit throughout the cave, with more lining up as many girls present were lighting their own candles at the moment. There was a large opening above them that allowed the sun to shine. While Lucia and Hanon were looking at the number of candles in amazement, Rina was more cautious of the three as she checked her surroundings for potential danger before she looked at the opening above them.

Lucia and Hanon approached one of the stone circles where the candles were lit and placed their own respective candles. Lucia placed her pink candle with hers and Goku's name carved on it, while Hanon placed her blue candle with hers and Taro's name on it. Then right after they lit their candles, they closed they eyes and cupped their hands as they knelt down, praying to the mermaid of legend for her blessing. Meanwhile, Rina was standing behind them with folded arms, patiently waiting for her friends to complete their silent prayers. She didn't had the heart to say it out loud, but Hanon's hopes and dreams for Taro Mitsuki were a little far fetched, considering their age gap and the fact that he was their school teacher. As for Lucia and Goku, there is still hope for those two.

" _Please, mermaid of legend, hear my prayers. I know that Goku and I had a fight, but please support our relationship so we may mend the wounds we unintentionally inflicted on each other. Lend me your strength, bless the names carved on this candle, so our relationship would blossom to unbreakable love."_ Lucia thought as she prayed with all of her might for her blessing and that she might actually get closer with Goku.

At the same time, Goku was soaring through the sky on his Flying Nimbus, looking for the cave that Lucia mentioned. He decided to call off his training for the time being and travel there so he can apologize to her for his outburst yesterday. She didn't deserve it at all, so he might as well fix his own, stupid mistake.

"Where could that cave be? It should be around here somewhere." Goku said to himself as he was searching for any signs left and right. But minutes later, he was flying above a large hill when he saw a big opening, with a bright light illuminating from within. He stopped right above it as he checked it out.

"It looks like there are people in there. And by the looks of it, there are all girls." Goku thought out loud. He checked his surroundings and saw there were more people at the other side and a stone passage that lead to the entrance.

"Great, I found it!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Now, where can I land without drawing attention?" He asked himself curiously as he looked to a suitable place to jump down. Then he saw the nearby forest. "There." He said as he flew there to descend. He jumped off the cloud and laughed childishly as he was falling down. He grabbed the tree branch and jumped to another tree while spinning forward. He jumped from one tree to another before he jumped down near the beach. Then he slowly made his way to the stone passage that leads to the cave and stopped near the sea.

" _So, this is the mermaid cave, huh? Doesn't look so legendary to me._ " Goku thought as he tilted his head in confusion. He saw castles and demonic chambers a lot cooler than this. _"Guess I should wait till Lucia comes out. I don't wanna be yelled at if I went in there."_ He thought as he dreaded the thought of being shouted at, he had plenty of that with Bulma. And the fact that there was no other guy around except for him, so that's another reason to stay put.

But far away from the shore, the Dark Lover Maria was gliding on the sea surface, grinning mischievously as she gazed at the cave where all of the girls were.

"That's right, keep praying to that ridiculous mermaid of that stupid legend. I'm certain that the mermaids will appear in a place like this." Maria thought out loud. But then she saw a familiar figure with spiky hair standing near the passage. " _So, that must be the warrior that is causing my lord all the trouble, huh?"_ she thought before she smirked mischievously. " _Well, I'll deal with him as well."_ She looked at the hill above the cave. With her plan already formed, she teleported to the top of the hill, ready to set her plans in motion.

Moments later, Lucia and Hanon had finished their prayers and they exited the cave so they can return home. But much to her surprise, Lucia noticed a familiar figure sitting on the shore, staring blankly at the horizon, looking rather bored.

"Goku." Lucia said. She was surprised to find him here of all places. Then Hanon nudged her to go and talk to him.

"Come on Lucia. Go." Hanon encouraged her.

"Good luck." Rina winked. Lucia blushed at the thought of confronting Goku.

 _"_ _Yeah, easy for you to say."_ She thought sarcastically before she slowly jumped from one stone to another until she reached the shore where Goku was waiting.

" _I wonder why is Goku here. He didn't knew a thing about the legend. But then I told him things that I now regret._ " Lucia thought as she recalled their argument at the cave that ended up with him being angry. She was a little scared to talk to him as she looked at his broad shoulders. But sensing that someone was looking at him from behind, Goku turned around to find that it was Lucia, which made her blush even more.

"Hi Lucia." Goku said, having his trademark smile on his face. Lucia's heart started to pound as she was growing nervous of talking with him, even though his smile eased her nerves a little bit.

"Uhm, what are you doing here?" Lucia asked nervously.

"Look, I'm really sorry that I yelled at you yesterday. You didn't deserve it at all, i felt really bad after what happened. i hope you can forgive me." Goku said with an apologetic look, rubbing the back of his head, determined to make amends before things turned to worse between them. Lucia was surprised that he was the one apologizing and not her, despite her words of accusation hurting more than his words of defending the mermaid. Even so, she couldn't help but smile gently from his heartfelt apology.

"No Goku, i…" As she was about to apologize as well, a loud thunder suddenly boomed, making Lucia scream slightly and lunge straight onto Goku's chest for protection. He was taken by surprise a bit, but he soon wrapped his arms around her in return.

"Are you okay?" Goku asked in slight worry. Lucia's heart started to pound at a fast rate as she looked at his onyx eyes staring innocently into her brown eyes. She was completely hypnotized by his stare as the time around them seemingly stopped for a few moments. As for Goku, he merely looked at her blankly, slightly concerned if something was wrong with her.

But suddenly, a cold wind erupted out of nowhere, catching both Goku and Lucia off guard.

"What is going on? Where did this wind come from?" Lucia asked. Even Goku was surprised at the sudden change of weather. But then he sensed an energy signature that appeared at the hill above the cave seemingly out of the blue.

" _I sense a dark power level on that hill. It is very similar to those two Dark lover girls I fought. Well, I guess there is only one way to know for sure."_ Goku frowned as one of those water demons appeared out of nowhere to cause trouble.

"Lucia, I need you to get out of here right away. It's too dangerous to be here now." Goku said in a serious voice, but also out of concern.

"Why, what is happening?" Lucia asked while trying to fight off the strong winds.

"Please, just go!" Goku exclaimed as he darted to face his opponent. This foe must be really powerful if he can change the weather so drastically in seconds. If so, then Lucia is in severe danger and he had to be dealt with quickly. But at the same time, he was excited that he might have finally found a proper challenge.

"Goku." Lucia said in low voice, worried about his safety. But she gasped as she remembered about the candle in the cave. "Oh no! The candle!" Then she immediately darted back to the cave, so the winds won't extinguish it. She'll be damned if she allows some out of the blue wind to ruin everything for her.

Hanon and Rina arrived soon after, but they saw Lucia running past them.

"Lucia, wait, where are you going?!" Rina called for her, but Lucia was too focused on saving her candle from the cold winds that she completely ignored them.

"It's been sunny just a minute ago. How did the weather change so drastically?" Hanon asked, rubbing her hands as she was shivering a bit.

"Just as I thought. This is the work of the Dark lovers." She frowned as her suspicions were proving to be correct. The two spotted a blonde woman on the hill above the cave, raising her hands in the air.

"Wait, wasn't Goku here just a minute ago?" Hanon asked as she turned her attention to Rina.

"He probably went ahead of us to fight the water demon." Rina said as she looked around to find him, but he was nowhere to be seen. "If that's the case, then we should go after Lucia in the cave. She will freeze in there if we don't get to her quickly." She said.

"But how? The storm is getting worse and if we try to reach the cave, the sea water will touch us and we will turn into mermaids." Hanon said as the waves started to rise, but fortunately they did not flood the cave. Rina gritted her teeth at the situation. If the storm gets any worse, then they will be either frozen or turn into a sea foam should they try to reach Lucia and transform in turn, considering there are still humans around.

At the same time, Maria grinned mischievously, folding her hands as her plans are steadily coming to fruition.

"Mermaids falling in love with humans. What a dreadful legend." Maria chuckled evilly. "Mermaids are stupid creatures. Love needs to be cold and ruthless, unrequited love is for fools." She then raised her hands in the air again. "Any fool who would believe in that deserves to be frozen in time, along with that stupid legend!" she exclaimed as she channeled her power to intensify the cold winds and freeze anyone in the vicinity.

As Goku was approaching the unknown enemy, he saw from the hill that the girls started to run to seek shelter from the storm. He is relieved that everyone is safe and that he can fight his opponent without worrying about anyone's safety. But he was unaware that Lucia was still around, because he thought that she left home.

At the same time, Lucia arrived in the cave and placed her hands around her melting candle, protecting it from the cold winds, but started to shiver as she can barely resist the weather herself.

"C-cold. So cold." Lucia said in trembling voice. But she can't let Goku down, she has to keep the candle lit at all costs, she has to save this candle and their relationship with it.

"That's it! Consume them all and freeze them for all time!" Maria exclaimed as she channeled more power into the storm. Lucia looked up to find a water demon. But she couldn't go up and fight her, not if it meant extinguishing her candle and with it, any hope between her and Goku. She laughed evilly as her plans are coming to fruition, but then..

"Stop that right now!" A voice shouted from behind her. It was a tall, muscular man with spiky black hair, wearing a fighting outfit with symbol she had never seen before. He was staring at her with a stern look on his face, ready to fight should she resist.

"Ahh, so you must be the human that is giving my lord so much trouble." Maria smirked. She doesn't feel threatened in the slightest, she merely thought he got lucky by beating Gaito's other servants.

"For your information, my name is Goku. And you better stop what you are doing, these people have done nothing to deserve this!" Goku frowned seriously, clenching his fists to his sides. Maria let out a muffled chuckle from his absurd statement.

"These fools are merely a bait for my real target. But it was rather amusing in seeing how their hopes are crushed by my icy love." Maria laughed for a bit before she continued. "And _you_ are also in my master's way. I will freeze you in time, so I can take you as a trophy." She pointed at him with a smirk. Goku merely clenched his fists as his anger started to rise. This girl is as cold as the weather she is conjuring and he was certain that he would have to fight her.

"You want me? Then come and get me!" Goku exclaimed as he took up his fighting position.

"With pleasure." Maria grinned maliciously. Then she unleashed a volley of ice shards at Goku, but he managed to dodge them all with ease, occasionally flipping and dashing left and right. She continued her assault for a while, but then she stopped for a moment as Goku dashed back into the ground.

"Impressive. You are really fast, but let's see if you can dodge this." Maria said. She then thrusted her hands down and conjured ice spikes from the ground that were directed at Goku. He jumped out of the way, but then Maria sent a chilling wave at him the moment he dodged her attack. He blocked it with his right arm, but it was completely frozen in the process. His face was in a complete shock. It was very foolish of him to block that attack, but he acted on instinct in that moment. If he is not careful, then his entire body will be turned into ice cube. Maria chuckled menacingly after his arm was frozen.

"This is what will happen to you when I'm through with you." Maria said. She started to conjure more ice spikes and fired them at Goku. He jumped back, but he almost fell down into the cave. As he regained his balance, he noticed someone in there, gasping slightly in shock as he recognized the person.

" _It's Lucia! But what is she doing down there?!_ _And why isn't she moving?"_ Goku thought, gritting his teeth at the dawning realization. She was exposed to the winds for too long that she was now frozen in place. If he doesn't end this soon, then she will die. He then turned his attention to Maria, glaring daggers at the water demon.

"What's wrong, human? Did I made you angry?" Maria taunted.

"That's it, it's time to end this!" Goku growled as he pounded his fist on the ground hard, shattering the ice that encased his arm, much to the horror of the Dark Lover.

"How is this possible? How did you manage to do that?" Maria said in shock as she was backing away a few steps from him. But Goku ignored her question as he disappeared in a blur, his fist colliding with her face, sending her flying a few feet away, using only a small amount of strength. But much to his surprise and disappointment, she was knocked out with one punch.

The weather started to settle down after she was defeated and the sun was shining again, but he ignored the change in the weather as he ran to the cave as soon as the fight was over to check on...

"Lucia!" Goku exclaimed as he jumped down and ran towards her. "Hey Lucia, are you alright? Wake up, Lucia." He said as he rubbed her hands to warm her up. She was very cold and he had to recuperate her fast. She was still trembling, but less and less as Goku continued to warm her up, feeling the temperature of her body increasing. Soon enough, Lucia slowly opened her eyes to see a familiar face.

"Goku?" she said, louder than a whisper, as she was slowly waking up.

"Phew, that was close. Are you alright?" Goku smiled as he let out a sigh of relief, but still worried if she was hurt. She smiled and blushed a bit as she looked at his endearing expression. He actually came to save her.

"I'm so glad you came, Goku!" Lucia exclaimed as she hugged him tightly around his neck. Goku blushed a bit from the sudden hug as he chuckled nervously. But then he got confused as she suddenly pulled away from the hug, looking sad, which made him even more confused.

"I have told you some bad things yesterday which I regretted saying the moment i started to speak. And yet you still came to help me, worried for my safety. Thank you so much." Lucia smiled lovingly, blushing again. Goku gave her his signature smile, relieved that she was alright.

"Sure, anytime." Goku said. Then he looked at the pink candle that Lucia nearly froze to death for. "So, that must be your candle, right?"

"Yeah." Lucia said sadly as she stood up, looking at the other candles that were extinguished. "But I'm sad that all of these other candles, along with the girls' hopes and dreams are snuffed out." She said, almost on the verge to cry. Noticing this, after a few moments, Goku quickly thought of an idea.

"Don't worry, I know how to fix this." Goku reassured her. Then he thrusted his hand forward and he was slowly building up just enough energy to form a small energy ball, easy to control. He did this often while he was training to better control his energy with Mr. Popo, sometimes doing silly things, like cutting down apples or leaves falling from the tree.

Then Goku fired the ball, but managed to easily maneuver it around the cave, lighting every candle on its path at fast speed.

"Wow!" was all Lucia could say as she watched in amazement how he controlled the energy ball so skillfully. It was not as devastating as the Kamehameha Wave, but she was still amazed by his level of skill. Besides, she was so happy that the other girls would know that their candles of love would continue to lit, thanks to Goku. Once he was done, he maneuvered the ball through the opening and it exploded with a short bang without harming anyone.

"Done." Goku smiled brightly as he looked at Lucia.

"That was amazing, Goku! You actually did it, all of the candles are lit!" Lucia exclaimed cheerfully. This was the greatest thing he had ever done so far. Goku merely snickered childishly as he was scratching his nose, happy to see her cheerful again.

"Lucia!" two voices suddenly called for her from the cave's passageway.

"Hanon! Rina!" Lucia exclaimed happily.

"Are you alright? We were worried about you." Hanon asked. After the storm settled, they immediately darted in the cave to check on Lucia, but seeing that Goku beat them to it, they sighed in relief, but were still a little worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks to Goku. He also managed to light all the candles in the cave with a small ball of light. It was so amazing." She smiled brightly, so happy that everything turned out okay.

"Wait, even my..." Hanon immediately darted to their side to see her own candle lit again. "Oh my goodness, you lit even my own candle!" She then lunged at Goku, hugging him in pure joy. "Oh thank you Goku, thank you, thank you!" She said cheerfully as she rubbed her face on is chest.

"Sure, no problem." Goku laughed light-heartedly. Lucia puffed her cheeks in slight anger and jealousy. Rina noticed this as she chuckled nervously, scratching her chin.

"Well, I think we should go home now, we're done here." Rina suggested, with others nodding in response.

As the four were going back to South City, Hanon and Rina decided to leave Goku and Lucia alone as they came up with an excuse just so they would have some alone time. Goku merely shrugged while Lucia was a bit nervous of being with him by herself. Goku could have taken her to the city with his Flying Nimbus, but he wanted to take a walk all the way home with Lucia on this beautiful day. When they reached the city, the sun was slowly setting on the horizon.

"Man, I never would have thought you liked someone so much that you would freeze yourself in the cave." Goku said with his hands behind his head. He had no idea whose name she carved on that candle, but it seemed to be a big deal to her. Lucia gasped as she blushed red at that.

"What, did you see the name on the candle?" Lucia asked nervously. Goku didn't actually see any name, the candle was almost completely melted, but the look on her face was so funny, so he decided to tease her a bit.

"Maybe." Goku smirked mischievously.

"Goku, did you actually see it or not?" Lucia insisted, getting more nervous that he actually saw the names, but Goku continued to play dumb.

"Well, I think I'm gonna go and get a bite to eat, it's been a long day. See ya!" Goku smiled with a toothy grin as he started to run, leaving Lucia without an answer to her question. But Lucia will have none of that as she started to chase him.

"Goku! Stop being a jerk, please tell me did you see it!" Lucia shouted as she desperately wanted an answer, but Goku was simply laughing childishly as she was hopelessly trying to get her answer from him. The day went by in a flash as Goku and Lucia made their way home and relaxed for yet another day.

* * *

The next couple of days went by without anything to draw Goku's attention. Other than training, there was nothing interesting to do. It was time for school and Goku was so bored that he took a nap during the English class, lifting his notebook so he wouldn't be scolded by his teacher. Lucia noticed this and she was a little worried if he wasn't sick or something. But still, she couldn't help but giggle at how he snored a bit like a little baby.

After the class was over, Lucia turned around to check on him.

"Goku, you have been sleeping in classes lately. Have you had any sleep?" Lucia asked.

"I did, but.." Goku yawned loudly. "Classes are so boring sometimes, I wanna go outside and train." He said as he was rubbing his right eye.

"Really? It's been like listening to bedtime story." Lucia smiled.

"Something like that." Goku chuckled a bit before he stood up. "Well, I gotta go. See ya." He waved Lucia goodbye before he headed out, leaving Lucia confused of his sudden departure. Hanon approached Lucia soon after Goku left.

"What's wrong, Lucia? Have you and Goku had a fight?" Hanon asked curiously.

"I don't know. Maybe I said something that irritated him, but he didn't appear to be upset." Lucia frowned sadly. Hanon knew better, so she decided to tease Lucia.

"Maybe he found another girl to hang out with." Hanon said. Lucia's face was filled with shock, sweat-dropping at the thought.

"You know, I have seen Goku hanging out with a very pretty woman a few days ago at the store." Hanon smiled.

"With whom?" Lucia asked, anxious and afraid to know with whom he could possibly spend time with other than her.

"I don't know, but she seems to be a lot older than him." Hanon shrugged.

"I have seen them." A girl classmate added. "They met at the sport's shop."

"Yeah, they look really cute together." Second girl added.

"Almost as if they were lovers." Third girl added. "We are so jealous!" the three exclaimed simultaneously. Even though Kaito was also cute to the most of the girls in school, they considered Goku cuter of the two and because of that he is more popular, even though he is not a surfing champion like Kaito.

"I can't believe this!" Lucia exclaimed sadly, her face blue at the revelation. If that's the case, then everything she hoped for will be thrown out of the window.

* * *

She spent the rest of the day thinking about Goku going out with that older woman everyone talks about. The more she thought about it, the more her heart aches at the possibility of never having a chance to go the distance with him. The night quickly came and Lucia took a bath to relax and forget about that silly rumor, but not even a relaxing bath helped much as she simply couldn't drop the subject so easily.

Hippo entered her bathroom as he dragged his own little tub.

"What's wrong, Miss Lucia? You seem troubled." Hippo asked as he poured the water from Lucia's bath tub into his own.

"It's Goku. Everyone talks that he is hanging out with another woman." Lucia said as she sighed sadly.

"Well, that's a good thing for you." Hippo said as he finished filling his tub, jumping in soon after to relax himself.

"What do you mean by that? This whole situation worries me." Lucia frowned worryingly but realized that he wasn't paying attention. She saw him relaxing in his tub right next to her, which made her really angry.

"HIPPO! DON'T EVER GO INSIDE THE GIRL'S BATHROOM AGAIN!" Lucia shouted furiously, starting to pound him at his nerve for barging inside without asking. Minutes later, Lucia stopped and put on her clothes, with Hippo barely following suit, taking time to recover from her furious punches. He swore that she is sometimes more dangerous than the water demons she fights.

"Tell me Hippo, how is that a good thing for me?" Lucia frowned slightly, still irritated by Hippo for barging in like that.

"Lucia, I keep repeating that I'm against your idea of dating with a human." Hippo said, covered with a big bump on his head and a bruise on his right eye. "If you reveal you identity to him, then you will turn into a sea foam. It might be better off if you just give up on him."

"I can't." Lucia said sadly, collapsing on her knees in disappointment of no other solution. Hippo knew his lecture won't do a thing, so he decided to help her deal with the situation.

"Are you sure he has a girlfriend?" Hippo asked.

"Everyone has seen him going out lately with a pretty lady." Lucia said.

"And that's it?" Hippo said in an annoyed tone. If a rumor is what is troubling her so much, then she really should stop worrying about every single thing considering Goku.

"And he seems always so distant lately, always preoccupied by something. I simply don't understand." Lucia said as she stood up to look outside the window. She pondered about where Goku's feelings truly lie.

" _Goku, I am the only one you love, right? Your mermaid."_ Luciathought sadly.

"I know! Why don't we go and investigate?" Hippo suggested as he came up with the idea.

"Investigate what?" Lucia asked curiously.

"What is Goku doing, of course, and where he is going and that way, we can solve everything. We will track him down tomorrow and find out. If he confirms our suspicions, then you won't have to worry about him anymore." Hippo explained.

"No, I cant." Lucia complained, fearing that Goku will think badly of her if she spied on him. But she was still very curious to know the truth and she had no choice but to go with Hippo's plan. They made preparations for tomorrow later on.

* * *

At the same time, within the halls of Gaito's mobile castle, Eril is walking alone, scheming on how to capture the mermaid princesses and contemplating on the other Dark Lovers who were just slowing down her ambitions with their failures.

"Izure. Maria. Yuri. They were all beaten by the mermaid princesses. Also by that filthy human. I just don't understand how can a mere human be that strong?" Eril asked herself, having a flashback of her bout with Izure against Goku, before she switched to her menacing persona. "No matter, I will deal with them all by myself and earn Gaito's love."

"What's wrong Eril?" Gaito suddenly appeared, startling Eril as she quickly turned her attention to him. He smirked at her devilish appearance and figured that she is scheming something. "That's a menacing look. Don't tell me you already came up with a plan to capture the mermaid princesses?"

"Actually I have, my lord. You can rely on me completely." Eril smiled as she returned to her cheerful persona.

"Is that so?" Gaito grinned, believing she might succeed after all. "In that case, I have something to show you." He said as he raised his hand and conjured a giant clam that illustrated a green emerald jewel.

"This gem was found in the deeps of the North Atlantic. It is currently residing on this ship that is now ported to the docks where it is displayed to the public." Gaito explained.

"I had no idea you were a fan of gems, my lord." Eril said cheerfully.

"Actually, this trinket will no doubt draw to it all of the mermaid princesses." Gaito revealed his original intention behind the emerald stone.

"Oh, I see. So that will be my opportunity to capture them. What a brilliant plan!" Eril exclaimed happily. Gaito simply nodded, keeping his smirk. "In that case, i'll move out immediately. This time i will not fail you, my lord." Eril said as she departed to fulfill her mission.

* * *

Meanwhile, Goku finally completed his training session as the sun was slowly descending on the horizon. He took a well-deserved shower before he decided to grab a bite to eat.

"Let's see, what am I in the mood for?" Goku smiled as he checked the contents of his fridge. There was always an abundance of food and drinks, considering his enormous appetite. In the end, he went for a large quantity of stake, fish, pork, salad, rice, turkey and several cans of pineapples for an appetizer. He happily gorged on his meal before he went for the rest of the fridge as a main course. Due to the prize moneys he earned, he will easily supply himself for the time being.

Several minutes later, after he was done, he skipped happily to his bedroom and plopped on his bed with nothing but boxers. His expression was serious as he thought about all the events that happened up until now.

" _How strange. Over the past few weeks, I have never been this confused my entire life."_ Goku thought to himself as he placed his hand on his chest. _"My chest tightens every time Lucia is in trouble. But why? Bulma was in danger a lot of times when we were collecting the Dragon Balls, but this is something I have never felt before."_ He looked at the ceiling, recalling the times when Lucia was almost frozen in that cave or the time where she could have been devoured by those water dragons at the pool.

" _Same thing goes for that mermaid."_ He also recalled their first reunion and then the kiss at the pool not so long ago. He was in a complete dilemma at the situation, but he knew for sure that he will protect both of them, no matter the cost.

" _For some reason, they are always there when those Dark Lover girls appear. It's a good thing they weren't as powerful as Piccolo from three years ago, otherwise it would have been a disaster."_ He thought. He sighed deeply as he was too tired to think about it any further. He decided to recall the happy times when he and Krillin trained with Master Roshi all those years ago.

" _I wonder how are Krillin and the others doing. I can't wait to see how much they improved with their training_." He smiled as he slowly closed his eyes and conked himself into a deep slumber. The training took its toll on him more then he thought.

* * *

The next day, Goku went outside for a walk on a beautiful sunny day, deciding to rest for a day so that his muscles could recuperate. But he wasn't aware that he was spied by a girl and a penguin with topcoats, sunglasses and hats, who are in fact Lucia and Hippo.

"Hippo, we are too noticeable in these clothes." Lucia said quietly, doubting this whole situation.

"What are you talking about? You can't follow someone if you don't wear a topcoat. Let's go." Hippo said as he followed Goku, with Lucia following soon after. But as soon as they moved, they saw Goku about to turn around, jumpscaring both of them as they quickly ran to hide.

"Man, I'm thirsty." Goku said happily as he entered a coin, pushed the button took a can of juice from the vending machine. He sipped with joy at the flavor of the juice. "Mmm, strawberry." He said cheerfully.

"Oh man, I think he noticed us for sure." Lucia said, scared that she was busted.

"Umm Lucia, I think that older woman appeared." Hippo warned, making Lucia sweat. She was dreading that it wasn't that woman that everyone talks about. Her heart was about to jump from her chest at the thought.

"Oh sure, just follow the road down there and you will find a flower shop." Goku smiled brightly as he was glad to show direction to an elderly woman.

"Thank you, young man, you are too kind." She bowed as she departed. Lucia sighed in relief, but she was angry at the same time that Hippo riled her up for nothing.

"Will you stop scaring me like that? He was just giving her directions." Lucia said angrily. having a tick mark on her head.

"Well, she seemed too old for him. We shouldn't have doubted." Hippo said nervously, spying wasn't his area of expertise either.

"That's it, I'm tired of playing a stalker. I'm going home." She said angrily as she removed the topcoat, the hat and sunglasses to Hippo and left.

Several minutes later, Hippo and Lucia took a shortcut through the city, so they can reach the hotel sooner.

"Why are you giving up now Lucia? You do want to find out the truth, right?" Hippo asked.

"Yes, but.." she hesitated to give a full answer, as she wasn't certain of anything at this point.

"I just want things to be settled, so you can forget about him and move on with your life." He said. He was tired of seeing Lucia always worried when it comes to Goku. Not only it wasn't befitting to a princess, but it was also that she was usually a cheerful person.

"Move on with my life?" Lucia asked in slight confusion, not knowing what Hippo means exactly by those words.

"Umm, what I meant to say was.. umm.. I hate that you are always troubled every time you see him or hear his voice, that's all." Hippo panicked as he quickly corrected himself so Lucia wouldn't get the wrong idea. But the two weren't aware that Goku and a woman with short purple hair came out of the sport's shop, with Goku quickly noticed her.

"Hi Lucia." Goku smiled cheerfully.

"I see what you mean, Hippo. I hear his voice even when he is not here." Lucia sighed sadly at the realization that she has in fact gone crazy, now knowing that Goku was actually standing behind her.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Goku asked in slight confusion of her behavior. But Lucia felt a surge of fright as she quickly turned around to find that it was indeed Goku standing behind her. He shrugged it off as no big deal and he smiled again.

"It's great to see you Lucia. What brings you here?" Goku smiled.

"Uhh nothing, I was just taking my pet for a walk." Lucia panicked for a moment before quickly composing herself, coming up with an excuse. It was rather strange to Goku that she had a penguin as a pet, because he usually finds them in the north. Funny enough, that penguin reminded him of the time he helped the people of Penguin village to take down a Muscle Tower owned by the Red Ribbon Army, so that the villagers would be safe. But it wasn't the first time he saw him, she brought him once while Lucia and Hanon were going to watch him train that one time before Izure first appeared.

"Goku sweetie, who is this girl?" the woman asked curiously.

"Oh Jessica, this is Lucia, she is my friend from school." Goku smiled brightly. But Lucia on the other hand, was in a sad and jealous mood when she saw the woman, much to Goku's confusion.

"Oh, what a relief. For a second I thought she was your girlfriend or something." Jessica smiled as she clutched onto Goku's hand. Goku looked at her in confusion, why was she clinging to him for dear life, was something wrong? As for Lucia, she was utterly shocked as that small gesture felt like a knife went through her heart.

"Let's go Goku. I want us to spend more time together." Jessica said. Goku had no idea what did she meant by that as he looked at her blankly, blinking a few times before shrugging it off.

"Umm, sure." Goku said in a confused tone. "Well, see ya later Lucia." Goku smiled, waving goodbye before departing. This whole situation left Hippo completely dumbfounded.

" _They want to spend more time together? Don't tell me that they really are a couple?"_ Hippo thought as he watched the two of them departing. Then Jessica turned around to see the defeated Lucia. She was deliberately taunting her to say something, but to her amusement, Lucia only looked at them sadly as they departed.

* * *

Goku and Jessica went to the open grassy area where there was a beautiful view at the sea, a place where many athletes come when it's a sunny day to train. It's not Goku's favorite place to train, but the beach was pretty far away and this seemed a suitable alternative. Goku wore his usual training clothes, while Jessica wore her sweat suit for training.

"So Goku sweetie, tell me. Do you have a girlfriend?" Jessica asked curiously.

"Well, not really." Goku said with a blank expression as he glanced up to the sky.

"Don't be shy, Goku. Tell me what kind of girls you like?" Jessica asked. He turned his attention to her. "I assume that the older woman would suit you better." She said, referring to herself, but Goku was oblivious to that.

Goku had no idea what is she talking about, but he shrugged as he was eager to commence her training. She asked him for a while to teach her how to fight and he was happy to share what he learned over the years. But judging by her power level, he will have to start at the very basic levels of martial arts, considering she doesn't even know how to take a proper fighting stance.

Jessica on the other hand was not interested at all in martial arts. The only reason she is accepting all this is so she can seduce Goku while they are alone, but she is learning the hard way that this boy is dense as a brick. His good looks made her ignore that fact though.

"Alright, let's begin!" Goku said cheerfully.

"But wait Goku, aren't we gonna head down to the beach and take a dip in the sea?" Jessica suggested.

"Nah, the sooner we end with the basics, we can go with the real fighting techniques." Goku smiled with a toothy grin. Jessica sweat dropped nervously at that. If she doesn't tame him soon, she will get muscle aches very soon. "First, take up your fighting position."

As they commenced their training, Lucia and Hippo were hiding behind the bushes.

"Look Lucia. It seems they met each other while training here." Hippo realized. Lucia could only look at them silently with sad and jealous look on her face. She was getting sadder by the second as she looked at them training together, wishing it was her and not that woman.

"Since you are right-handed, place your left foot like this." Goku gestured as he placed his foot forward. "Then I want you to put your hands like this, so you can attack and defend when situation calls for it." He then gestured his hands in a basic boxing position, so she would understand better. "Okay, now you give it a try." He smiled as he folded his arms. She did as he instructed as she took up a rather amateurish fighting stance. In his eyes she has all of the openings in her stance, but then again, he was no different when he first started to train with his grandpa all those years ago.

"So sweetie, am I doing good?" Jessica smiled, trying to keep up with his lectures.

"Not bad. But with a little practice, it will be great." Goku smiled. Then from behind Goku, Jessica noticed a blue penguin patted by a couple of girl athletes who were training nearby as well.

" _Hey, it's that penguin."_ Jessica thought as she looked to the left to find Lucia hiding behind the bushes with a sad look on her face. _"Huh. And the girl as well."_ She smirked. She quickly turned her attention to Goku so he wouldn't get suspicious, but he picked up on her gaze in confusion. It was probably the girls he keeps hearing in the background, training like they do.

"Try to relax. You can't fight to your full potential if you are so stiff. Relax your shoulders a bit." Goku smiled as he placed his fists on his hips. She did as instructed, lowering her shoulders down. "Good, now try to…" he was about to instruct her further, but Jessica pretended that she lost balance and lunged right on Goku, catching him completely off guard as they both fell down on the ground, with Jessica right on top of him.

"Are you okay?" Goku asked blankly, concerned that she didn't hurt her ankle or something.

"You know Goku, older women are a lot more fun, don't you agree?" Jessica said with a mischievous grin, though he didn't know what it meant at all. He assumed they were a lot more fun to train with. She turned her gaze to Lucia with intention of making her completely jealous as she lied on top of him. It worked though, as Lucia yanked Hippo by his tiny arm and ran away.

"Miss Lucia, I know it's painful, but it's a reality. There is nothing you can do about it." Hippo tried to comfort her, but failed.

"Noooo!" Lucia shouted in disbelief as she catapulted Hippo into the sky in a comedic fashion, sending him flying until he disappeared from sight.

An hour after they have completed today's training, Goku escorted Jessica to the sport's shop where she is working.

"Thank you for today's lessons Goku, it was so much fun." Jessica smiled, though she had more fun being with him then actually training.

"Sure, no problem. Well, it's time to go." Goku smiled as he turned around and was about to depart home.

"Wait, I have something for you." Jessica suddenly said as she took two tickets out of her pocket. "Here, these are the tickets for the ship where they display a magnificent emerald gem. Why don't you bring along that girl, Lucia was it? I know you like her." She smiled.

"Oh wow, thanks Jessica." Goku smiled brightly as he took the tickets. Then his stomach started to growl. Even though he didn't train extensively as he used to, giving lessons to Jessica made him work up an appetite. He rubbed the back of his head with embarrassment as he chuckled a bit. "Sorry, I guess I got hungry from today's lessons. Well, see ya." He waved goodbye as he departed.

After he left, Jessica smirked mischievously. She had something else in mind for Goku, he was after all an easy catch if she played her cards right. And she also has plans for that Lucia girl as well. It was so amusing to watch her being so jealous like she did today and she will drain every drop of jealousy out of her before she is eventually bored of her. And all her plans will come to fruition tonight.

* * *

The next day, Lucia was sitting on her desk with her head leaned on her hands, frowning sadly. She was so sad after yesterday's encounter with Goku and that woman that she simply doesn't know what to do anymore. Not even Hanon was of much help last night. She only told her that she should take Goku from that woman, but Lucia wasn't that kind of girl to all aggressive. While she was lost in her thoughts, Goku approached her.

"Hey Lucia." Goku smiled.

"Oh, hi Goku" Lucia said, genuinely surprised to see him appear out of the blue like that.

"Listen, I have these two tickets where we can see this emerald gem on the ship today. I was wondering if you wanna come along after school and see what's the big deal about it." Goku smiled brightly. He kinda figured that Lucia likes going out in places like this. And besides, he had a lot of fun with her when they went out together days before, so he can't wait to hang out with her again.

"Really? You want.. to go with me?" Lucia asked, even more surprised at the fact that he is asking her to come and not Jessica.

"Umm, yeah, if you are not busy." Goku asked with a blank expression, a little confused at her reaction. It's not like he is asking her to fight him or something.

"No, I'm not." Lucia responded hesitantly.

"Great, then it's a deal." Goku smiled as he made his way outside the classroom. Lucia was so overjoyed that she even blushed a bit. She was wrong about him and Jessica after all, it seems there is still a chance for her and Goku. After that, Lucia took Hanon to the roof of the school building to tell Hanon the good news.

"It would appear that she is only friends with him after all." Lucia said happily.

"How do you even know? He could be going out with both girls at the same time." Hanon said, not convinced about the situation.

"Goku would never do such a thing!" Lucia said in frustration at such an accusation. How could she possibly even think about Goku being a ladiesman or anything of the sort?

"Well, then you will have to tell him to decide. Her or you." Hanon pointed out. Lucia sweat-dropped nervously after her words.

"I can't. He will hate me." She whined childishly. Hanon rolled her eyes in annoyance. She should really take a direct approach if she wants to have any chance with Goku, but then again she can't force her to do something that is against her nature.

* * *

The school time finally passed and Lucia was ready to meet with Goku. They both arrived at the cruise ship where they will finally see the gem that was the talk of the city in these last three days.

"Welcome to the exhibition of the Mermaid's Tear. Tickets please." The conductor said.

"Sure." Goku smiled as he took the tickets from his pocket. "Here you go, mister." He said. The conductor ripped the tickets a bit and returned them to Goku.

"Thank you sir, enjoy your stay." The conductor said politely. Goku and Lucia nodded with smile as they departed inside.

"Umm, Lucia? Why do they take our tickets and return them to us all torn up? That's kinda rude, isn't it?" Goku asked bluntly as he looked at partly ripped tickets.

"I don't know. I guess that's how it goes for events like this." Lucia shrugged. She was not really sure herself why is that a thing, about in the dark on the subject as Goku.

"It does?" Goku asked innocently.

"Probably." Lucia smiled, finding it cute how Goku has that childish curiosity brimming in his eyes.

"Where were you Goku? You are late." A familiar voice said in front of them.

"What?! Jessica?! What in the world are you doing here?!" Goku exclaimed in shock.

"I have a dinner reservation for the both of us." Jessical smiled, saying casually as if Lucia didn't exist.

 _"A dinner reservation?"_ Lucia thought, just as shocked as Goku.

"Hold on! What dinner reservation?!" Goku exclaimed, even more shocked. But that shock quickly turned to slight groan as his stomach started to growl, making him grab his stomach. Jessica couldn't help but giggle in turn.

"I take it as a sign that you approve of my reservation. How wonderful." Jessica smirked. With that said, she leaned in closer to whisper something to Lucia.

"We already had an appointment before you arrived, so don't stand in our way, okay?" Jessica whispered. Lucia was shocked to the core; she couldn't believe that he actually did something vile like that. Backing away, she was about to run away from him, but she was caught by the wrist by Goku.

"Lucia, wait!" Goku exclaimed, but she immediately broke from his grip.

"Let me go. I know what you are up to, you are so pathetic." Lucia said, heartbroken by this development.

"What?!" Goku exclaimed, noticing that things are really getting out of hand now.

"I don't wanna hear a word from you. Now go and have a dinner with her." Lucia said, almost on the verge to cry.

"But Lucia, listen to me, I didn't do.." Goku tried to explain, but his stomach started to growl again. Usually Lucia would find it funny and cute at times, but in this situation she found it repulsive.

"That's what i thought. I'm leaving." Lucia frowned in mixture of frustration and sadness as she ran away from the two.

"Wait Lucia, please!" Goku called out for her, but it was no use as she sprinted away from the two. With Lucia out of the picture, Jessica approached Goku and held onto his right arm.

"Relax Goku. Let her go, we have a dinner waiting for us at the restaurant." Jessica smirked as she leaned closer to Goku's ear." You know, lots of delicious, mouthwatering food all lined up just for you to ravish on. Isn't it exciting? I bet it is." Jessica whispered alluringly as she is taking severe advantage of his blatantly obvious hunger. With that little girl out of her way, Goku was now all hers for the taking. It would seem that everything is going just as she planned.

Goku's stomach yet again started to growl loudly. It was really, really tempting to go with Jessica and have a huge bite to eat, but seeing Lucia all sad and seemingly heartbroken, especially considering a huge misunderstanding occurred between the two, he couldn't just leave the things between them like this. He had to fix the damage that happened out of the blue at once. Using all of his willpower, he resisted his monstrous appetite and went to find Lucia. In his mind, the dinner will be waiting for him anyway, so he might as well reconcile with Lucia as soon as possible.

Jessica was stunned that her invitation failed miserably. Goku just darted forward without even saying a word. Not willing to just stand there an gawk, she went after Goku. Lucia was really getting on her nerves and she will this time be more direct with her advances.

Meanwhile, Rina also attended the exhibition. When she approached the emerald jewel, she immediately recognized the gem that was displayed to the crowd.

 _"I knew it. That gem is from my kingdom in North Atlantic."_ Rina thought. She recognized it as the very jewel that decorated her throne back in her kingdom. She also recalled the day when her kingdom was attacked, with the prized gem lost after the assault, it's whereabouts unknown. Until now.

But unknown to Rina, Eril was secretly spying on any trace of the mermaids possibly appearing, but so far she had no luck.

" _Damn, this is the last day of the exhibition and the mermaid princesses haven't showed up yet. I will not go to Master Gaito empty-handed. I will take it as a gift for him and that way the mermaids will definitely fall into my trap."_ She thought cheerfully as she commenced her more direct approach of luring the mermaids out.

Outside the ship, Lucia was staring sadly at the night sky, almost on the verge to cry as she thought about what Goku did.

 _"Goku, that jerk. It's as if he wanted to brag about how he goes out with her."_ Lucia frowned sadly. But then the entire ship was cut out of electricity, surprising Lucia. Rina was also on high alert after this sudden accident.

But Eril used this opportunity to shatter the containment glass and snatch the gem. She then darted outside right past Lucia and jumped into the water, much to Lucia's surprise. But Rina pursued her, jumping right after her.

"Not so fast, Eril!" Rina shouted, determined to get the prized jewel back.

"So, I succeeded after all, you did show up." Eril said cheerfully, her plan worked.

"Be a good girl and hand over the jewel." Rina threatened, her fists clenched.

"I don't think so. This jewel belongs to my master now." She said. Lucia followed right after she noticed Rina pursuing Eril.

"Rina. So you came to see the gem too?" Lucia asked.

"Yes, that gem belongs to my people in North Atlantic and this little runt stole it." Rina said, her anger starting to rise as the water demon was really getting on her nerves.

"So, another mermaid has arrived." Eril said before she switched to her menacing persona. "This will be an excellent gift for my Master Gaito." She said, confident in succeeding this time.

"I'm not in the mood for your games." Rina said, having enough of her useless attempts. "Voice of the Green Pearl!" she started to assume her Idol Form.

"Yeah, neither am i. Voice of the Pink Pearl!" She said, also assuming her Idol Form. They were ready to fight, their microphones on their hands and ready to deliver some pain to this water demon. But this time, Eril came prepared. She merely smirked as she clicked a button on a shell-like remote. Then four clams surrounded Rina and Lucia and opened up, revealing speakers that emitted a very loud noise that was even louder than their combined voices.

"And now you are mine!" Eril exclaimed as she conjured her sea vines to trap the mermaids, with Lucia and Rina unable to even move. "Excellent, now I will bring you to my master." She smirked.

"Not so fast." A familiar voice said from behind her as she snatched the remote from Eril's hands. It was Hanon. "You know, that music was so loud you couldn't hear me coming, could you?" Hanon grinned as she shattered the remote, destroying the clam speakers in the process and freeing Lucia and Rina. Then she started to assume an Idol Form of her own and combined her voice with her friends.

"Hanon, you came!" Lucia exclaimed cheerfully. She couldn't be more happy to see her.

"Well of course, I had to oversee your date with Goku." Hanon smiled. Then Rina was in her battle mode again.

"Alright let's finish this." Rina said, determined to end this. Lucia and Hanon nodded in agreement as all three of them started to sing the Legend of the Mermaid song.

"The seven colored wind,  
blows across the long plateau.  
At the peak,  
A nostalgic song was playing.  
And before the dawn,  
I could hear a melody.  
And I knew,  
That this song,  
Would only bring joy and love."

Eril started to writhe in pain at their combined might. She failed her master yet again.

"Look to the east,  
What do you see?  
Little birds flying far away.  
They,  
Are flying off to a place,  
Full of love,  
It's like a treasure."

"The seven seas have always been my paradise.  
A place where all the love in my heart is realized.  
Even after,  
a night in the storm,  
The joy in my heart,  
can always be reborn.  
Listen to the melody of seven lands.  
It will always be here till the very end.  
Even if no one remembers this,  
I won't forget.  
Legend of the sea."

"Noo, how can this be happening?!" Eril exclaimed, trying to fight off the intense pain, but to no avail.

"Loving power of the mermaids!" Lucia exclaimed as she pointed at Eril, signifying her finishing move. "How about an enchore?" all three of the mermaids said simultaneously. But Eril would have none of it as she immediately escaped, dropping the gem that is now sinking to the sea's bottom.

"Rina, aren't you going to get it?" Lucia asked, curious as to why is she just standing still.

"No." she said simply. _"That is the Mermaid's Tear._ _May it keep constant vigil over us from the depths of the sea_ _."_ Rina thought as she watched her prized jewel sink further and further. She thought it was for the best, because now no one would ever be able to steal it again.

Back on the ship, Goku looked everywhere for Lucia, but she was nowhere to be seen. He tried to sense her energy, but strangely she was nowhere on the ship. But he can't give up, he had to fix the damage he indirectly caused, even thought it was all Jessica's fault. But she was rather persistent, she kept clinging onto him, but to his annoyance, he keeps pushing her from him lightly, trying not to hurt her.

"Lucia! Where are you?!" Goku exclaimed, frowning at the thought of how she feels right now after all this mess.

"Goku, why don't you forget about that silly girl already? We are all alone now, come on, kiss me." Jessica said as she hugged him tightly around his neck, trying to be as seductive as possible. But Goku finally picked up on her schemes as he pushed her away from him.

"So that was your plan, huh? You gave me those tickets so you can tell her your lies and hurt her feelings." Goku frowned, starting to get furious at her audacity to toy with Lucia like that.

"So what? She is not your girlfriend, isn't she?" Jessica retorted.

"No, but she's a good friend of mine. And because of you, she thinks that I'm the bad guy now." Goku said in a serious tone. In a short time of knowing Lucia, he knew that she was the most kind-hearted person he had ever met and seeing her so sad, especially when Jessica was the cause, made his blood boil to no end.

Unknown to the two, Lucia is listening intently to their conversation near the ship in the water, gasping slightly in surprise from his words. Goku didn't actually brought her just so he can brag about going out with Jessica, It was all a setup that not even Goku knew about. She was wrong about him, very wrong.

"Why do you even care about her so much if she is your 'friend'?" Jessica asked in an annoyed tone. No one is so riled up over a friend.

"What's your problem? You only asked me to teach you how to fight, you never mentioned any of this." Goku frowned. In all honesty, he thinks she spent time in that sports shop for too long.

"Shame on you, you little runt! How dare you humiliate me like this?!" Jessica said angrily as she was about to slap him in the face. But much to her surprise and slight shock, Goku grabbed her by the wrist. Was it on instinct or intentionally, he didn't know himself. But what he did know for sure is that her words and actions struck a nerve in Goku for daring to hurt Lucia's feelings, someone so gentle she wouldn't hurt a fly.

"You wanna talk about humiliation? Fine! How about the fact that you deliberately gave me those tickets, so you can not only make her hate me, but you also had the nerve to hurt her feelings!" Goku exclaimed, his anger rising at a fast rate. Jessica is starting to be legitimately afraid of his serious look. She had never seen him this angry and she better not push her luck anymore then she already did.

"Lucia is the sweetest and kindest person I have ever met, far better person than you." Goku said in a spiteful tone as he released her wrist, making her step back from him a few steps. "Now leave and don't ever talk to me again." He warned, glaring daggers at her. He didn't have to say twice as she darted away in fear of her life, never to be seen again.

Lucia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She blushed red and her heart fluttered at his words, placing her hands on her beating chest. She even started to cry at how he defended her like that. She was a bit hurt by the 'friend' part, but she knew that Goku was naive when it comes to love, but when it comes to defending his friends, he should definitely get an award. And for good reason, because unknown to Lucia, three years ago, Goku traveled all the way to Kami's Lookout to revive the Eternal Dragon that King Piccolo destroyed and revive all of the innocent people, including Krillin and Master Roshi.

Goku sighed deeply as he relaxed, letting out all of the frustration from his mind. Again he was riled up, but this time because of Lucia. Why is it so? He was never this mad about a girl before. His head started to ache by this limitless confusion he is now experiencing in his mind. But then again, his anger was justified. In all of his adventures, he never met someone so kind and gentle like Lucia. And that woman dared to toy with her by lying to her that she was his girlfriend, making her run away from him. He was in that similar situation many times when he was a child. Many enemies abused his naivety to gain an unfair advantage in battles and it almost costed him his life on several occasions. He growled at the thought. He was maybe naive for many things, but he learns fast, especially when someone tries to toy with his head so that he may fall for their tricks.

He then heard a splashing noise coming from below the ship. He looked down, but he saw nothing, tilting his head in confusion. Then he finally decided to go home and forget about this crazy night. After he went outside the ship, he called for his Flying Nimbus and rushed home. Everything went out of control the moment he and Lucia entered that ship. He thought he was about to have a blast yet again with Lucia, but it all went upside down when Jessica appeared out of nowhere. To make things worse, she orchestrated the whole thing: Giving Goku the tickets, knowing he would bring Lucia along and then make her move to remove her from the picture. Either way, the idea of sleeping in bed couldn't sound any better in that moment. He was beat, not physically, he have been through far worse than this, but mentally. This whole thing confused him to no end and he had to get some sleep.

* * *

The next day, Lucia, Hanon and Rina were walking together to school to reach the classes on time. As they were about to enter the school yard, Goku caught up with them.

"Hi Lucia." Goku smiled with an apologetic look on her face. "I'm so sorry for what happened yesterday. I didn't even know that Jessica would appear out of nowhere and…" but he was shushed by Lucia by placing her finger on his lips. She heard the whole thing last night and there was no need for explanations.

"It's okay, Goku. I know it wasn't your fault." Lucia smiled. Goku smiled brightly and sighed in relief, glad that the problem was solved between the two. Then all four of them went to classes together, with Lucia smiling as she turned her attention to him. _"I could never stay mad at you, dear Goku."_ She thought. After Goku's honest words from last night, she knew that it's only a matter of time before he will finally confess his love to her. She smiled brightly as she just can't wait for that day to come.


	5. Chapter 5

~Challenge~

It was yet another sunny day as Goku made his way to the classroom. He soon reached the class on time and took his seat behind Lucia, as usual. They still had a free time before the class begins, so Goku and Lucia had a conversation with each other. After the incident at the gem exhibition on the ship, Lucia was more talkative with Goku then before. He didn't really mind, because he too likes to hang out with her, telling jokes and laughing with her. He loved hearing her giggle and laugh, he always finds it really cute. Hanon and Rina watched from their seats, happy that those two are getting closer by the day.

But there was one particular person who was not so happy with the development between the two. From the other side of the classroom at the back seats, Kaito, Daichi and Kengo were excited at yet another surfing tournament, preparing themselves to win the championship. But at the same time, Kaito frowned as he watched Lucia talking and laughing with Goku. He couldn't help but be very jealous that Goku has her full attention and not him. To make things worse, that jealousy grew by the day as he watched them getting more intimate. Still, he felt ashamed that he hated the man. He saved his life after all and he seemed to be a good person. But the thought of those two being a couple was unbearable to say the least. In a short time of knowing Lucia, he considered her to be far different than other girls in school and he thought that he might have found him a great girlfriend, but that chance was thrown out the window when Goku arrived as well.

"Hey Kaito, what's wrong bro?" Daichi broke Kaito from his thoughts.

"Oh, it's nothing." Kaito lied. He was never the one to show the signs of jealousy, but this time Daichi and Kengo noticed. They turned to the direction Kaito watched and noticed Lucia talking with Goku.

"Well Kengo, those two are getting closer by the day, aren't they?" Daichi asked.

"Yeah bro. Lucia is cuter then other girls, I'm so jealous." Kengo whined.

"Well, Hanon and Rina are pretty as well bro. We could try our luck with them." Daichi said, trying to avert the subject about Lucia, knowing it irritated Kaito for some reason.

"Yeah. But still, Goku is one lucky guy." Kengo smiled. He considered Goku a good friend, almost on good relations like with Daichi and Kaito. Daichi shared the sentiment, as he too considered Goku to be a great guy to hang out with.

Kaito rolled his eyes in annoyance. This is just what he needed, more salt to the wound. It's as if it wasn't bad enough that Lucia doesn't notice any other guy except for Goku. Sure he was almost as popular as him, but he can still date any girl in school, considering Goku doesn't really care and he seems to only hang out with Lucia, with the exception of her best friends, Hanon and Rina. And yet, he can't shake the jealousy within him as he started to form up a plan on how to gain Lucia' favor and love. Fighting Goku is out of the question, knowing he will be pummeled for sure and will only make things worse. Then he smirked as a brilliant idea popped in his head.

"Hey guys, I was thinking. Why don't we bring Goku along for the tournament?" Kaito smiled, concealing the true intent behind the idea. Daichi and Kengo turned their attention back to Kaito, confused by his sudden suggestion.

"But Kaito, Goku is not a surfer, you know that." said confused Kengo.

"Yeah, I know. But I doubt it will be anything difficult for him once he grasps the basics, don't you agree?" Kaito suggested. "Besides, I think it will be fun if he competes as well." He added. Daichi and Kengo thought about it for a bit and they both nodded in agreement, much to Kaito's delight.

"Yeah, let's go and ask him." Daichi said.

"Sure, but after the class." Kaito smiled. As the class was about to begin, he smirked as his plan was slowly coming to fruition. With Daichi's and Kengo's support, he will get him to compete and then he will win, just as he planned. Goku is maybe a great fighter, but he is a surfing champion and this will be easy for him. He had to suppress his anger though, so he wouldn't pick a fight with the man.

After the class was over, Goku and Lucia made their way home, until Kaito, Daichi and Kengo caught up with them. "Hey Goku, what's up?" Kaito asked.

"Hi Kaito. It's nice to see you." Goku said cheerfully.

"Likewise. Listen, there is a surfing tournament that will be held in two days and I was wondering if you want to compete with us." Kaito smiled, hoping that he will accept the invitation.

"A surfing tournament?" Goku asked.

"Yeah, all of the amazing surfers will gather up and determine who will be the champion. You should join as well." Daichi added.

"Well, I don't know." Goku rubbed his head on whether or not he should compete or continue with his training.

"Come on bro, it will be so much fun. Plus we will give you a few pointers on surfing." Kengo suggested. Kaito glared at him for a second, but quickly returned to his normal self before they became suspicious. Even a few pointers will give Goku the advantage he doesn't really want.

Lucia was standing next to Goku the whole time and she was more than excited to see him on that surfing board, striding the waves. "Yeah Goku, I wanna see you surfing! I'm sure you would win!" She said cheerfully, holding his hand, her eyes beaming with excitement.

Goku chuckled nervously while scratching his chin. "You really think so?" he asked.

"Yeah, definitely. And if you win, I'll make you a delicious picnic." Lucia added. She wanted to ask him to a picnic for a while, but she was too shy to ask him. Now she had a perfect opportunity to do it and she get to see Goku surf at last.

Goku's ears twitched at the word 'picnic.' "Really?! You mean it?!" he exclaimed excitedly, his mouth watering at the thought. He was wondering how good of a cook Lucia is and he just can't wait to try out all of the delicious food she will bring.

Lucia giggled. This was just the reaction she was expecting from a goofball like him. "Yup, but only if you win." She smiled brightly. But win or lose, she will still bring him food. He is a champion for her, be if a surfer or a fighter.

Daichi and Kengo laughed light-heartedly by his reaction to food, they always find it funny because he always eats a lot at the cafeteria. Kaito, on the other hand, growled silently as he clenched his fists in anger. Lucia is making a picnic for Goku? He had nothing against him, but he will be damned if he loses to a beginner like him.

Goku beamed with joy at the prize he will get if he wins. He turned his attention to the trio. "Alright guys, count me in!" He proclaimed, raising his fist in the air, ready to do it. Surfing was not as fun as fighting a strong opponent, but if it means eating Lucia's delicious food, then he will do his best. Daichi and Kengo cheered, while Kaito did a fake smile, trying to hide the anger that was building up inside. But he had to keep it cool and save it for the tournament.

* * *

After their conversation, Lucia went home with Hanon and Rina. Lucia explained to them that Goku will compete as well and she was more than excited to see him there.

"So, Goku will compete huh? That's new from him. But then again, when you offered him a picnic, I wouldn't be surprised. That guy can eat a mountain of food and still have a room for desert." Hanon joked, making Lucia and Hanon laugh at the thought. "But you said if he wins, then he can have the food. What will happen if he loses by any chance?" Hanon asked.

"Don't worry Hanon, I know he will win. There is no way he will lose." Lucia said, confident that Goku will emerge victorious.

"I'm not so sure, Lucia." Rina said, stopping Lucia and Hanon and turned their attention to Rina.

"Why?" Lucia asked, a little confused by her statement.

"Think about it. Kaito is a surfing champion and Goku doesn't know a thing about surfing. Kaito probably used that fact to challenge him, knowing he would win for sure." Rina explained. She despised Kaito for that. She had her own reasons to despise the man, despite not being Gaito in disguise and now she found a new reason to dislike him even more.

Hanon frowned. "Now that was low, even for him." She said. She too doesn't like how Kaito challenged an inexperienced surfer to a competition like Goku. She thought that fighting Goku would be suicide for him, so he made him do something he was good at.

But Lucia was unfazed by her statement, confident that Goku will win for sure. "In that case, I will put everything I have in this picnic." She added, knowing that the food will definitely boost Goku's morale.

Rina smiled. "I see. Then go for it." She said. Lucia nodded in response, already planning on making a bunch of delicious dishes for Goku.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kaito and his two friends didn't waste time as they went to go surfing and prepare for the competition. Goku reluctantly tagged along. He originally planned to train first and surf later, but his friends made him go so he can too be ready for the day to come. He was wearing black and red surfing suit, in similar design to Kaito's. He watched the other surfers striding the waves and seen that it wasn't as complicated as he thought. It was almost the same as riding the Flying Nimbus.

"Well, shall we begin? The waves seem to be in our favor today." Kaito suggested, eager to begin.

"Let's do it. Goku, why don't you go ahead first and see how it goes? We will instruct you from the shore." Daichi smiled, willing to help out his friend.

"Sure, this should be fun." Goku smiled as he went in to begin his surfing.

He lied on the board and began to swim away from the shore, as they instructed him. Now all he had to do was wait for the waves to rise, so he can surf. He stood up and easily held his balance on the board. He was surfing left and right, having a very similar feeling while striding the waves. Then he started to laugh childishly as he maneuvered beneath a big wave like he was surfing his whole life. This was exactly like he was on Flying Nimbus, only it was on water and not the sky. Then he started to perform moves that shocked Daichi, Kengo and most of all, Kaito. He jumped high in the sky with his board, spinning at fast speed before he landed on the wave, maneuvering left and right. He even used his arms to balance himself, all the while laughing out loud childishly, having a time of his life.

"Coool!" Kengo exclaimed. No surfer has ever been this good, not even Kaito.

"Bro, check out Goku. He is really good. No, he is amazing!" Daichi exclaimed, also shocked how he strides the waves like a professional.

"Man, you could say he is better than Kaito. Just look at him go!" Kengo exclaimed. Both of them never knew he was this good. He would definitely give Kaito a run for his money if he performs at the competition like he is. Of course, he didn't say that to spite Kaito, he was simply amazed at how a beginner like Goku would do so well on the first day.

Kaito growled, clenching his fist as he encountered a new problem. This was going to be a lot more difficult then he thought. The advantage he believed he had was now thrown out the window. Goku was performing moves that it was impossible for him. But then again, he smirked at the challenge. He knew he stood no chance against him in combat, but he will do his best to beat him at the surfing championship and in turn, gain Lucia's love and favor.

He stepped forward, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, Goku has more skill then I thought. This contest will be more exciting then I expected." Kaito smirked.

"Yeah, definitely!" Daichi exclaimed. He was even more excited. He will give his all, along with Kengo and Kaito, although Kaito couldn't bare defeat, as he had to prove himself in Lucia's eyes. The trio then soon followed suit as they too practiced for the day. Goku finished an hour later, not wanting to leave out his day of training. He apologized to his friends that he couldn't stay longer, but he had to go.

* * *

At the same time, at the Pearl Hotel, Lucia had a conversation with Hanon about having a picnic with Goku.

"Man, I'm so excited for this picnic, but I don't know exactly what to make for him." Lucia sighed disappointingly. "I could have just asked Goku what was his favorite food."

Hanon giggled. "Don't worry, this is Goku we are talking about. From what I have seen, he will basically eat anything you throw at him." She joked. "But make sure it tastes good. Boys love homemade meals, similar to mother's cooking." She suggested.

"You really think so?" Lucia smiled, with Hanon nodding in agreement. If that was the case, then this should be an easy task for her, though she won't be picky with the ingredients. But unknown to the two, Hippo was eavesdropping from under Lucia's bed.

"I can't hear this anymore. A picnic? Certainly not for a human!" Hippo exclaimed to Lucia, having a tick mark on his head. Then he turned his attention to Hanon. "And you Hanon, of all people, had to support her."

It was not Lucia's turn to be mad. "Hippo, how long have you been spying on us?" she asked angrily, having a tick mark of her own. Hippo sweat dropped at the error that he made as he quickly ran away from the room, leaving Lucia and Hanon alone.

* * *

The day went by with everyone doing their own tasks to make the day pass quicker. As Lucia was spending the rest of the day pondering on what food she should prepare for the picnic, elsewhere, Goku was training extensively ever since he finished surfing with his friends, using Tien Shinhan's Multiform Technique for his training. He still had a fond memory back at the Kami's Lookout on how he observed the technique in action using the magic waters that can see what he desires, similar to the jug Korin uses in his tower. Since he couldn't jump down to see his friends, he used this opportunity to see how they fared. He noticed Tien training alone, perfecting a technique that was very interesting to Goku. After he had seen it in action, he trained himself to copy the technique. After he quickly mastered it, he learned of its fatal weakness and preferred to use it only while training or facing a weaker opponent, much like the Dark Lovers. He trained like this for the rest of the day, also perfecting his other techniques and fighting abilities.

But he was not the only one spending the day exercising. Kaito was surfing alone for the rest of the day after Daichi and Kengo left as well, determined to win the contest. But he was failing to keep his balance multiple times as he couldn't get out of his head Goku's performance earlier today. He had to push his skills even further if he is to stand a chance against him. But he had to keep cool if he is to make any progress, otherwise he won't do a thing, no matter how long he practiced. He continued like this until the night fell, where he called off his exercise.

It was now nighttime and Lucia was still pondering on what exactly to prepare for Goku, buying many cooking books and checking out all of the recipes that would be fitting for the picnic.

"Let's see. No picnic is complete without some fried eggs. Or perhaps some salted stake." Lucia said as she examined the food recipes.

"Tough decision." Hanon added as she was reading a magazine.

"Or perhaps something to warm him up, the sea is pretty cold. What do you think, Hanon?" Lucia asked.

"Well, I think i could go with this guy." Hanon said, not paying attention at all on Lucia's dilemma.

"A guy?" Lucia asked. That question was really off the topic.

"Yup, his name is Kasuke Sakiya and he is more handsome then other guys that are competing." Hanon said as she was reading a magazine of all the surfers that will attend the contest, with Kasuke being one of the professional surfers that would rival Kaito's skills. Lucia was having a tick mark on her head.

"Hanon, you didn't hear a single word I said!" Lucia yelled, angry that she was ignored this whole time.

"Of course I did. You want to know who is the sweetest guy in the tournament, right?" Hanon asked bluntly.

"What did you say? For your information, no one is sweeter than Goku." She declared before leaning closer to Hanon. "And if I remember, you are in love with Taro." She added.

"Of course I am. Taro is the sweetest guy I have ever met. But that doesn't mean I can't think of other men. It's completely natural." Hanon said like its completely normal thing.

"Completely natural?" Lucia frowned. She sometimes doesn't know what is going through her head.

Hanon sighed in defeat. "You only think about that Goku." Hanon retorted.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm completely against it." Hippo suddenly appeared who was again eavesdropping on the two.

"Hippo! You were spying on us again." Lucia said, even angrier that Hippo was now making the scenery even worse. He ran out of the room before he faced her wrath, leaving her alone with Hanon for the rest of the night.

* * *

The next morning, Lucia and Hanon departed to the market, where they will buy all of the necessary ingredients to prepare the food for Goku. Hippo sighed deeply as he watched them departing, completely lost by Lucia's behavior when it comes to Goku.

"Ugh, what am I going to do with Lucia? Goku, that's all she thinks about." Hippo complained, simply not knowing what to do anymore to avert her from that thought.

"You know what they say; there is no cure for love." Madame Taki added. "If you want, I can prophesize to you on how their relationship will go."

"No thanks. Your prophesies are completely unreliable." Hippo said bluntly, making Taki a little angry at the insult.

Lucia and Hanon were walking in the Town square, where they will buy all of the necessary ingredients to prepare a whole lot of food, knowing Goku's appetite. By Hanon's suggestion, they picked large variants of food, adding that Goku was not picky at all, witnessing how he once ate everything that cafeteria had to offer, much to the other's frustration. They all had to quickly get what they could before Goku ate the rest. Lucia giggled, that sounded just like him. As soon as they entered the market, they already searched for the fresh meat, fruit and vegetables that the store had to offer. They were shopping for a while until they finally finished, carrying as many bags as they could. Lucia and Hanon joked along the way on Goku's account about his bottomless stomach, making them laugh.

As they were heading back home, Kaito noticed them carrying a lot of bags filled to the brim with food. He sweat dropped at the sight, who could possibly eat that much food? Then he frowned as he remembered that it was for Goku's picnic. Only he could eat that much, because he once witnessed his pig out session at the cafeteria that left him hungry for the rest of the day. He ignored them as there was no use frustrating, he simply continued to the beach where he would carry on with his preparations.

He arrived at the beach and commenced his exercise, but he couldn't focus on surfing as his mind was troubled by this entire picnic thing. He tried to keep his balance several times, but each time he fell in the water, cursing himself for being so frustrated. First he hated himself for letting jealousy consume him, to make Goku do something he is not even interested in with intent on gaining Lucia's attention, then hating the man himself, a person who saved his life and who is a great guy to hang out with. It's his fault that Lucia got under his skin. But the deed is done and if he doesn't win this contest, then he will have no choice but to be silent about their relationship. Until then, all he can do is practice.

* * *

Meanwhile, Goku is having yet another day of intense training. Currently, he is testing how powerful his favorite technique has got after all that intense workout after all this time. He cupped his hands together, initiating the attack.

"Kaaaa… Meeee… Haaaa… Meeee…" he prepared his ultimate attack, putting his hands on his sides and gathering all of his energy into the blast. His hands were shining from white and blue rays, signifying that his attack was ready.

"HAAAAAA!" He unleashed his attack to the sea, sending it flying until it impacted on the sea surface, exploding in an enormous watery mushroom that was as large as an island. After the explosion settled down, he smiled, satisfied by his progress.

He sighed deeply. "Good, it seems that I'm making progress with my training." He said as he clenched his fist in front of him with satisfaction. Then Goku frowned. "But I still have a lot of work to do. The tournament is approaching and I don't have much time." Then he turned around, with a flashback of King Piccolo in his mind. This time he will train until the last possible moment and then defeat him again. "Right." He then continued with his vigorous training, furiously punching and kicking at intense speed and going on with the rest of the day of pushing his limits.

* * *

Half an hour later, Lucia and Hanon finally arrived home, bringing all the groceries that they bought and putting them on the table. Lucia didn't waste any time as she put on her apron and brainstorming on what to cook from all the ingredients.

"Now let's see. A little vegetable stew will keep him warm, along with fried eggs, fried potatoes, along with some egg fried chicken, oh and I could add some stake and kebab and some tomato salad. What else? Oh yeah, some rice and delicious warm sandwiches with melted cheese and…" Lucia then got interrupted by Hanon.

"Umm Lucia, do you actually plan to feed the entire beach?" Hanon sweat dropped. She knew that Goku eats a lot, but this was ridiculous. She had serious doubts that she would eat all this. Seems that Lucia took her joke seriously when she said he can eat a mountain of food.

"If you feed him this much, then he will choke. Poor Goku." Rina added. She had to feel bad for him, considering he will have to eat all this food.

"Honestly, do you think it's a little too much?" Lucia asked bluntly, making Hanon and Rina almost trip down by her question.

"A little? Of course it is!" Hanon and Rina exclaimed simultaneously while laughing a bit. They knew how Lucia felt, but this is ridiculous.

"Well, now I'm starting to feel bad for Goku." Hanon said, looking at the large pile of food stacked in front of her.

"What do you mean? I'm just trying to make him feel satisfied and happy." Lucia said nervously. She hoped that he will be pleased by her cooking.

"Lucia, we understand your feelings. Food and love are given in small bites." Hanon winked, supporting her friend.

"And you should make your vegetable stew more salty. Surfing can be hard." Rina added. Lucia smiled at her and Hanon, glad that she has supportive friends like them.

"Thank you, Hanon and Rina. You are the best." Lucia smiled, glancing from Hanon to Rina. Then the three of them began to cook.

* * *

At the same time, within the halls of the ruler of Panthalassa, Gaito was lounging in the pool, drinking his wine, waiting for Maria to come. He was willing to give her a second chance to prove herself after her previous failure. But she won't be receiving any special treatment if she doesn't fulfill her mission like the rest of the Dark Lovers. Then moments later, Maria arrived.

"This tournament tomorrow will give you a chance to show me some of your icy tricks. I expect you will fulfill your mission this time." Gaito smirked.

"Don't be mad, Gaito, It doesn't suit you." Maria said, trying to stay on his good side.

"I'm not mad. I am confident you will capture them this time." He said, certain that she will succeed, but this time to a lesser degree. "Now go and bring me those mermaids and the heart of that human on a platter." He frowned. Not only does he have to deal with the mermaid princesses, but with that annoying warrior as well.

Maria merely bowed and left to succeed where others could not. But as soon as she left Gaito's chambers, she rubbed her left cheek. It was still numb from that furious punch she received from Goku. How is it possible for any human to be that strong? First he shrugged off her ice magic like it was nothing and then rushed to her so fast that she couldn't see him, delivering a punch that felt like being run over by a train. She hoped she wouldn't face him anytime soon while she hunts for the mermaids.

* * *

Meanwhile, Goku finally finished his training session as he was panting heavily from all that exercise. He was lying down on the sand, his arms and legs spread wide.

"Well… I guess… that does it… for today." He said while trying to catch his breath. Then he smiled at the tomorrow's surfing contest. Soon after, he was having images of assortment of foods that was waiting for him. He drooled as he couldn't wait to eat Lucia's delicious food.

"Ah man, I'm so hungry I could eat all that food right now. But I guess Lucia is sleeping, so I have no choice but to wait for tomorrow." He chuckled weakly, trying to recover the energy to get up and go home for a much needed shower and sleep.

At the same time, Lucia, Hanon and Rina were cooking an abundance of food for a long period of time. Rina and Hanon were getting sleepy, so Lucia finished up her work for a couple of more hours. She was cooking her stew, tasting it to see if it's cooked enough.

" _Excellent, it's done. This stew will give him the strength to win tomorrow. I only hope I guessed his taste."_ Lucia thought. Though judging by Hanon's statement about Goku's liking for food, she was certain he will like it. Then she packed up all the food in the picnic basket before she too left to sleep, resting after all that cooking.

* * *

The day of the surfing contest has arrived and the competitors were slowly gathering up to show their skills. **"Yet another surfing tournament in South City is finally here. Surfers, it is time to get ready and show us what you got!"** the announcer said, informing the surfers from the lifeguard center. Lucia, Hanon and Rina have also arrived.

"Wow, look at all these people." Hanon watched in amazement at the number of people that came to compete.

"I wonder where could Goku be." Lucia said as she looked around to find him.

Hanon tapped Lucia's shoulder. "There he is." Hanon pointed at him, standing next to Daichi and Kengo, eager to commence, with Kaito missing, but was on his way. Goku was also amazed at how many people came to compete. Thought it wasn't nearly as exciting as competing at the World Martial Arts Tournament, he figured it would be great to have some fun from time to time with his friends.

"Hi Goku!" Lucia exclaimed cheerfully, waving her hand to say hello. Goku smiled brightly when he saw her.

"Hi Lucia, I'm so glad you came." Goku said cheerfully. Lucia blushed a bit as she saw him wearing black and red surfing suit and a yellow surfing board. He looked like a true surfer. Then she quickly snapped from her thoughts.

"Of course I did, I brought you the food for the picnic." Lucia smiled, showing him the picnic basket full of food. Goku's stomach growled as he drooled at smelling the food, due to his enhanced senses.

"Oh wow, it smells amazing! Can I have a bite of that?" He exclaimed, beaming with joy at eating her delicious food, judging by how it smells good. Lucia pulled the basket close to her playfully.

"Nah ah. First you have to win the contest, then you can eat." Lucia teased him.

"Just a little bite, pleeease?" Goku asked childishly with a toothy grin, hoping he will get a bite from her basket.

Lucia sighed slightly. She just couldn't say no when he makes a childish face like that. "Alright you goofball, but only one bite." She smiled.

"Alright!" He cheered, raising his hands in the air. Lucia gave him a piece of egg fried chicken and ate it all in one bite. His eyes sparkled at the taste. It was really good, the taste was off this world. "Ahh man, that was great! Lucia, you are incredible!" Goku exclaimed cheerfully, rubbing his stomach in delight. If one piece tasted this good, he just can't wait to eat the whole basket. Now he can't wait to win and get his prize.

Lucia blushed red at the compliment and smiled gently. She sighed in relief inwardly as she was glad that he liked it. Hanon giggled behind Lucia and Rina smiled, both finding his reaction funny and glad that all her hard work paid off.

"Well, the rest will wait for you. Now go, ill cheer you on with Hanon and Rina." Lucia smiled brightly.

"Sure." Goku have her a thumbs up as he turned around to meet with Daichi and Kengo. Unknown to them, Kaito watched the whole scene unfold, frowning and clenching his fist in anger. She actually brought all that food for Goku. Well, even though he was his friend, there is no way he will lose and he will prove it today. He went to meet up with them, so he wouldn't be suspicious.

At the same time, beneath the sea surface near the shore, Maria was waiting to make her move.

"Well, I sense that the mermaids are nearby. Come out, come out, wherever you are." She said, waiting for them to appear, so she could attack. She figured that Goku couldn't attack her while she was underwater, so she will just have to wait for the mermaids to come to her.

Back at the contest, the event was about to begin **. "Surfers, it's time to begin. The first contestant is Daichi."** The announcer said. Goku, Kaito and Kengo cheered on his friend, while Lucia, Hanon and Rina watched the contest from the sides. As Daichi was performing his skills, Maria noticed him, smirking.

"Huh, humans and their games. A little excitement is in order here." She said as she unleashed an ice blast at Daichi's surfing board, kicking him off balance and falling in the water.

" **The first contestant is down."** The announcer said. Goku, Kaito and Kengo were a little shocked. They knew he wasn't fooling around and seeing him fall in water so quickly was strange, though Goku took notice of a strange light that was aimed at Daichi, though he wasn't sure.

Maria smirked "There is plenty more of that to follow. Come out, mermaids, I'm waiting."

Kengo was next contestant to show what he got, but Maria unleashed another ice blast, directed on his board that threw him off balance and fell down in water as well.

" **Unbelievable, another contestant is down."** The announcer said. This time Goku and Kaito became suspicious. They were really good surfers and they certainly wouldn't act like amateurs like now.

" _Strange. Those guys weren't fooling around, and yet they fell down so quickly. I bet someone is involved with this."_ Kaito thought. It was obvious that Daichi and Kengo were great surfers and yet they performed poorly. That was very suspicious, even to him.

" _Something is not right. These guys are good, they wouldn't act like amateurs. It probably had something to do with that strange light I saw moments ago."_ Goku thought, frowning at the situation. " _Guess I'll just have to wait and see if it will appear again."_ He thought.

" **And now, the last year's champion of West City, Kasuke Sakiya."** The announcer said. He is a famous surfer, much like Kaito, so this was the chance for Goku to find out if his suspicions were correct.

Maria was still waiting beneath the surface. "So, the mermaids are not ready to show up yet, aren't they? Ah well, guess I'll just have to continue. Take this, boy!" She said as she unleashed yet another ice blast that was directed at his board. Kasuke never saw it coming as his board was frozen and he too lost balance and fell down.

This time both Goku and Kaito noticed, along with Lucia, Hanon and Rina, who were also suspicious of the contestant's quick elimination. Goku frowned as his suspicions were correct. If he didn't know any better, it was that Dark Lover girl Maria. Only she possessed the power to freeze those boards and eliminate the surfers from the competition.

" **Oh no. Even the champion of West City fell down too."** Announcer said in shock.

"That wave seemed strange, don't you think?" Lucia said.

"Yeah, almost as if it froze for a second." Hanon said.

"Don't tell me it's them." Rina said, believing that the water demons are involved in this.

" **And now, the champion of South City, Kaito Domoto."** The announcer said.

" _What am I going to do? I sense that she is right in front of me in the waters. I can't jump in there without causing a scene, but I have to stop her somehow. "_ Goku growled, but he stopped soon after to calm himself, but still frowning. _"Ah well, at least she didn't hurt anyone so far. I can only hope Kaito will not be next in line to be frozen."_ He thought, watching intently.

Kaito was slowly approaching the waters. As he was about to begin, he turned around towards Lucia for a second. Lucia was a little surprised by the sudden action he made. He quickly turned his attention back to the sea, waiting for the perfect wave to come.

" _Alright, this is it. It's time to win this contest and prove myself in Lucia' eyes."_ Kaito thought with adamant resolve. He then commenced to show his own skills as a champion, striding the waves. Goku was a little confused by the motion he made moments ago, but he was preoccupied with the sinister energy that he didn't bother to know the reason. He only hoped he would be alright.

"Well, these humans are persistent. But then, so am i. I will freeze them all to the last man." Maria said as she unleashed her ice blast once again, aiming at Kaito. But he was on his guard the moment he entered the waters. He noticed an icy blur beneath the waters and dodged it just in time. Goku sighed in relief as he watched the scene unfold. He wished he could do something, but if he left, then he would be disqualified and that meant no food. He was already hungry and the thought was scary. But he had to concentrate and fight off his hunger.

Hanon turned her attention to Rina. "Rina, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked.

"Yes, this is definitely their work." Rina frowned. This was just what they needed, water demons causing trouble with a lot of humans around.

"I will not let them get away with this. They won't deprive Goku of his victory." Lucia frowned, ready for action. "Hanon, Rina, let's go." Lucia said, with both of them nodding in agreement. Then they all quickly ran in the water away from people and swimmed to face the water demon. As they departed to face Maria, Kaito continued surfing, demonstrating his amazing skills.

" **Wow, look at those amazing moves, this is why he is the champion. Son Goku will have to get a flawless score if he is to outmatch Kaito Domoto. "** the announcer said. Goku smiled at his friend. He was really good and that gave him a bit of a challenge. This will be a lot of fun for him nonetheless. Kaito received cheers from all sides. He smiled as he performed just as he planned. And now it was Goku's turn.

" **And now, a brand new surfer who came to test his skills for the first time in the tournament, Son Goku!"** the announcer said. He was having a hard time concentrating, as he was so hungry and a little exhausted from yesterday's full blown training session. But that didn't mean he will give up, he will stride those waves with everything he's got and get that food from Lucia. Besides, if that Maria decides to attack him, he will be ready.

Maria frowned at her failed attack. "Darn it, that punk dodged my attack." Then she smirked as she noticed someone very familiar. "Well now, it would seem I have a chance to get rid of that pesky human as well. Oh, my master will be so pleased." She said as she prepared her most powerful attack, but she was interrupted by the mermaids.

"Not so fast!" Lucia exclaimed, arriving on the scene with Hanon and Rina.

"So, you finally decided to show up. Now you are mine." Maria smirked.

"This water demon is going down. Let's go!" Lucia exclaimed, angry that this Dark Lover is causing trouble on Goku's day.

"Be careful Lucia. She is dangerous." Rina warned. Then Maria fired a volley of ice blasts at the mermaids to freeze them solid. She continued her assault, but the mermaids narrowly dodged them all.

"Now you made me angry!" Lucia exclaimed, even angrier. Before Maria had a chance to strike, the mermaids assumed their Idol Forms and they were ready to deliver some pain.

"How dare you hurt the innocent people? That is unforgivable!" Lucia glared at the water demon.

"Live for you, Mermaid Voice!" Three mermaids said in unison.

"Be quiet!" Maria shouted as she unleashed a powerful ice blast at the mermaids to freeze them completely. As it was about to made contact, the mermaids started to sing The Legend of the Mermaid song.

"The seven colored wind,  
blows across the long plateau.  
At the peak,  
A nostalgic song was playing.  
And before the dawn,  
I could hear a melody.  
And I knew,  
That this song,  
Would only bring joy and love."

The blast was nullified as soon as the mermaids started to sing, petrifying Maria in place.

"Look to the east,  
What do you see?  
Little birds flying far away.  
They,  
Are flying off to a place,  
Full of love,  
It's like a treasure."

"The seven seas have always been my paradise.  
A place where all the love in my heart is realized.  
Even after,  
a night in the storm,  
The joy in my heart,  
can always be reborn.  
Listen to the melody of seven lands.  
It will always be here till the very end.  
Even if no one remembers this,  
I won't forget.  
Legend of the sea."

"Loving power of the mermaids!" Lucia exclaimed as she pointed at Maria, signifying her finishing move. "How about an encore?" all three of the mermaids said simultaneously.

"Why you.. How dare you melt away my icy love? Next time, ill finish you all!" Maria exclaimed as she teleported away. Soon after, the mermaids left to meet up with Goku.

At the same time, Goku was performing amazingly well, though it took all of his willpower not to lose his balance. The picnic was at stake and there was no way he would lose like that. He was performing acrobatics with his board, spinning and surfing left and right, leaving the crowd dumbfounded, even Kaito.

" **Unbelievable! Did you see how Son Goku was striding those waves like a true surfer? While the other contestants fell in the water prematurely, with the exception of Kaito Domoto, Son Goku had demonstrated an incredible skill and balance. This year's surfing champion is Son Goku!"** the announcer said, concluding this year's contest. Kaito was disappointed that he lost, but there was no use in getting angry at this point. He lost fair and square and, even though it was blow for him considering he wanted to win to get Lucia' love and favor, he was still glad that Goku won. He was his friend after all and Kaito was definitely not a sore loser. He walked towards him to congratulate him.

"Congratulations on your win. That was truly incredible." Kaito smiled, extending his hand towards Goku. He smiled as he extended his own hand to shake with his friend.

"Thanks, Kaito. You had some amazing skills too." Goku smiled brightly, satisfied how regardless of the outcome, all of them had fun. Kaito felt bad now for holding a grudge on him for being with Lucia, though it will take some time before he can accept the fact that Lucia has taken a liking to Goku and not him.

Goku felt the energy suddenly disappearing from beneath the surface. He was very confused of why did it happen, but he was glad that no one was hurt and that she was gone. He looked around to find Lucia and eat that delicious food, but she was nowhere to be seen. His stomach started to growl, louder each time, the more he thought about it. But first he had to change to his regular fighting outfit which he loves to wear. After he was done, he was carrying his surf board and the surfing outfit with him in search of Lucia. But almost on cue, she appeared with Hanon and Rina.

"Goku! I have heard you won the contest, congratulations!" She exclaimed cheerfully, hugging Goku tightly.

Goku laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his head. "It was nothing, really. But it was fun though." Then his stomach started to growl, making Lucia giggle.

"I see that you got hungry from all that surfing. Well, let's eat." Lucia smiled sweetly. That was a music to his ears as his eyes sparkled with joy and his mouth was watering. He was anxious to eat every morsel of food she prepared for him.

"Alright!" he cheered.

"Listen Lucia, Rina and I have some business to take care of in town, so we will meet back at the hotel. Bye." Hanon bid her farewells with Rina, with intention of leaving Goku and Lucia alone. Lucia blushed a bit from being left alone with him. But when she turned around, he still had that childish expression on his face; it was like he was waiting to open a Christmas present. She smiled as she was walking with him to a suitable place to eat. Lucia placed the sheet on the sand before she placed all of the delicious foods that she made for him all night. Goku was amazed at how good it all looked and it smelled great.

"Oh wow, this looks amazing Lucia!" Goku exclaimed cheerfully, eyeing all of the food that she placed for him.

"Enjoy, I made this all for you." Lucia smiled brightly, happy that Goku was eating her meal. She didn't have to tell him twice as he immediately gorged on his meal. It all tasted divine, he just couldn't express on how good of a cook Lucia is. He ate a whole lot of food before, but this was truly delicious and that was an understatement.

"Aw man, thif if delifiouf!" He exclaimed with his mouth full, still watering at the very taste of food. But then he stopped for a second as he noticed Lucia wasn't eating at all, merely looking at him with a smile on her face. He gulped his food before he spoke.

"Lucia, don't you wanna eat too?" He asked. He didn't want to eat everything in front of him and leaving Lucia without a single bite.

"No Goku, all this food is for you." Lucia smiled. She had lunch at the hotel, so she was full for the time being.

"Oh ok." Goku then immediately returned to his feast, making Lucia sweat drop as she watched him gobbling everything on sight. It's a miracle he didn't eat his own arm in the process. But still she was so glad he was eating her food in the first place.

After a few minutes of pure delight, he finished the last plate at the record time. Lucia was shocked. She knew he ate a lot ever since the Pie contest, but this is ridiculous. He ate everything on sight without catching his breath.

"Can I have some more, please?" he asked bluntly, giving her an empty plate. Lucia lost her balance and fell down in a comedic fashion. Then she got up and rubbed her head. Man, this guy is truly a bottomless pit.

Lucia stared at the sheet sadly. "I'm sorry Goku, that's all I made for you." She felt ashamed that she couldn't make more food. Goku felt bad now as he looked at her with a sad look on her face. He really wanted more food since it tasted great, but seeing her sad reaction, he decided to drop it.

"I mean, its ok, I'm full!" He quickly corrected himself, trying to make her feel better. "But man Lucia, that was delicious, you are an incredible cook!" He exclaimed cheerfully as he rubbed his stomach.

Lucia blushed red. "Thank you Goku, I'm glad you liked it." Lucia smiled. Goku snickered childishly as he noticed her blushing, though he always finds it cute. After a good meal, they stayed for a while before departing home. Everything turned out great for Lucia: He won the contest and he ate her food. This was the best day so far and she is looking forward for more moments alone with Goku.

* * *

The rest of the day went by with no troubles. Lucia returned to her daily chores and Goku to his training. The night fell and they all fell asleep for yet another great day. But somewhere around 5 am at the Pearl hotel, they have heard a loud noise that was coming from the kitchen.

"What is going on?" Lucia asked, quickly coming out of her bedroom.

"What is that noise?" Nicole asked still sleepy, rubbing her eye. Madame Taki was also awake, along with Hippo.

"My crystal ball tells me that there is a suspicious person in the vicinity." Taki said. Though Lucia, Nicole and Hippo were already aware of that.

"What? Do you think it's a burglar?" Said Nicole, who was slightly afraid of an unknown intruder. But she and Lucia were ready to take him down, taking a broomstick as an improvised weapon. Nicole and Lucia silently nodded and both charged in the kitchen at the same time, pinning the intruder down on the floor.

"We got you now." Lucia smirked proudly as she and Nicole pinned him down.

"Hey, get off of me, both of you." A surprisingly familiar voice made Nicole and Lucia look down to find that it was Hanon.

"Hanon? What in the world are you doing here so early?" Said shocked Lucia.

"I was making lunch for Taro." Hanon said, still a little irritated that both of them pinned her down all of a sudden.

"A lunch?" Lucia asked.

"Yup. You see, Taro didn't come to school yesterday and I guessed that he got sick and he stayed home. I was worried so much that I couldn't sleep, and then I decided to make him lunch, so he could feel better." Hanon explained.

"That's a great idea, Hanon." Lucia smiled.

"Exactly. Since your picnic with Goku was a success, I decided to do the same. I will also put my heart and soul in this meal and I'm certain he will fall in love with me." Hanon blushed, already daydreaming about her feeding Taro while he is in bed.

Lucia laughed from her imagination. "I knew it. I can help you out. After all, you helped me cook, so I don't mind." She smiled.

"I will help too." Nicole smiled. This surprised Lucia and Hanon a bit.

"Seriously, you will help us?" Hanon asked.

"I don't really have a choice, the kitchen is already a mess." Nicole sighed. If she left them alone any longer, then the whole kitchen will be an even bigger mess. "But under one condition. Both of you will do the cleaning once we are done." She ordered, with the two mermaids happily obliging if it meant finishing Hanon's work. They wasted no time as they immediately finished cooking the recipes that Hanon had in mind for a couple more hours.

The sun was rising on the horizon and Rina came to visit her friends. "Lucia, Hanon, good morning." But there was no response as she knocked the door. "Strange. Where could they be?" She then entered the hotel, but there was no one inside. She searched a little more and decided to check on the kitchen.

"Ah there you are." But to her surprise, Lucia and Hanon were a mess. "Hey, what happened here?"

"It would have been a lot better if I cooked." Nicole complained. Though Hanon wanted to do it on her own and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Look Rina, a meal full of love for my dear Taro." Hanon said excitedly, eager to bring the food to him.

"Ugh, all I see are hearts, but I wonder how they taste." Hippo reached to eat all the food, but Hanon stopped him.

"Allow me to add some magic love spells." Taki suggested. Her ball started to glow and she mumbled something that worried the trio a bit.

"Those are the magic love spells?" Lucia sweat dropped nervously.

"It sounds more like a witchcraft." Rina said. This made Hanon quickly close the small food container and pulled it away from Taki.

"Umm, thanks a lot, that will be enough. Cya." Hanon said nervously as she quickly ran away from the kitchen to change and immediately go to Taro. Lucia followed soon after. Then the trio left the hotel and made their way to Taro's home.

Meanwhile, Goku was already on his feet as he made his way to buy more food from the market. He took a break from his training for a while until he resupplied himself, he simply couldn't afford to train on an empty stomach. Then he heard someone making a commotion about something and they sounded familiar. On closer inspection, he noticed Lucia, Hanon and Rina. He noticed that Hanon was especially excited about something, holding a small yellow pouch which seemed like food in there. He went towards them to greet them.

"Hey girls." He asked cheerfully. "What's going on, why are you all so excited?" he smiled. The girls turned around to see that it was Goku.

"Hi Goku. We are going to see Mr. Mitsuki at home. Wanna come with us?" Lucia smiled.

"Sorry, I was going to get a bite to eat and then do some training." Goku rubbed the back of his head. He wanted to tag along, but he was really into training today that he couldn't bear to do nothing for the day.

"But the tournament was recently finished." Lucia tilted her head in confusion.

"You mean the surfing? Nah, I'm doing my own training, can't really afford to get lazy." He grinned. "Well, cya." Then he departed before moments later he turned around. "Oh, and I would _love_ to eat your food again sometime. That would be great." He said with a toothy grin before he departed. Lucia's food yesterday was so delicious and he can't wait for her to bring him more food.

Lucia blushed a bit from his request. "Sure, I will bring you some when I watch you train." She said cheerfully, waving goodbye to him. Then Hanon elbowed her playfully.

"Hey Lucia, you two are getting more intimate, are you?" Hanon teased, making Lucia blush even more.

"No… Okay, maybe a little." Lucia said nervously, but smiling brightly as she really liked the thought of her getting ever closer with Goku.

"Hurray for homemade meals. Now I'm even more excited. Taro sweetie, I'm bringing you a meal of pure love. I'm coming!" Hanon exclaimed excitedly, picking up the pace to meet with him as soon as possible, with Lucia and Rina following suit.

* * *

But elsewhere, within Gaito's mobile castle, the mood was polar opposite. Gaito is slowly losing his patience and his anger started to rise because of the incompetence of his servants, including Maria. The water demons tried to calm their master down, but it was useless. Their failures have already dealt a blow in his belief in their abilities to capture the mermaids, even more so when they are incapable of defeating one measly human. Yuri tried to relax him with her piano music, but it only irritated Gaito even more. That tune was ineffective against the mermaids and it only reminded Yuri of her own failure.

"Here you go, master Gaito." Maria offered him a warm drink, but Gaito had enough of this pointless charade.

"I don't need a damn relaxation!" he exclaimed, barely containing himself from destroying them on the spot. He approached Yuri's piano and smashed his hand on it in frustration. "That ineffective music is nothing but a noise!" he shouted right in front of Yuri right before departing to his private chambers.

"Gaito!" The Dark Lovers called out to him, but he merely ignored them. He has no need of false promises, he was already angry at their defeat. They looked at him sadly, believing that they have seriously crushed all hopes of gaining his favor.

" _Gaito, please don't hate me."_ Yuri thought. She couldn't allow this to go on as she immediately made her way to the surface to come up with a plan on finally capturing those mermaids for her master.

* * *

As Yuri was trying to form her plan on how to fulfill her mission, Taro was playing a music that he composed, almost finished entirely.

"Done." He said as he wrote his signature on the composition. Then he started playing the music again, just so he would be certain if he didn't make any mistakes. But the music has drawn Yuri's attention as it has a strange energy radiating from it.

"Impossible. This music has a tune that attracts the mermaids." Said shocked Yuri, but also smirked as she finally found a solution. "Perfect. I will use it to finally capture them." She said as she entered Taro's household.

Taro never saw her coming as she suddenly appeared out of nowhere right in front of him.

"Im sorry human, but I will be taking that composition now." Yuri smirked.

"What? Who are you, how did you get in here?" Said shocked Taro. Yuri merely snickered maliciously.

"It doesn't matter. Now look into my eyes." Yuri said, using her eyes to hypnotize him and erase his memory of their encounter and of the composition he made, also making him fall unconscious.

"This is too easy." Yuri giggled mischievously as she took the notes with her. "And now this music is mine." She laughed hysterically until she heard a door bell, making her run away before being noticed. But little did she know that it was Lucia, Hanon and Rina ringing the bell.

"That's strange. He is not opening the door." Hanon said curiously. If he was truly sick, he would have opened it by now.

"Maybe he went outside." Lucia suggested.

"Wait, if he is outside, that means he is not sick." Then a dreadful thought hit her. "He went out with another woman!" she exclaimed, her anger slowly started to rise. But as she was having images of Taro and an unknown woman hanging out together, anger was slowly turning into sorrow. "Or maybe they are at home and they are deliberately staying silent." She was even more sad as she had images of those two kissing.

"That's it, I'm going inside, i don't care!" She shook her head as she barged inside, much to Lucia's and Rina's surprise.

"Hanon, you can't go in like that!" Lucia exclaimed to her friend.

"You are trespassing." Rina added. But to their shock, especially Hanon's, Taro was lying on the floor unconscious. Hanon immediately rushed to his side, dropping the food she made for him.

"Mitsuki, are you ok?" Hanon asked, completely worried. She shaked him a few times and slapped him lightly in the face before he started to regain his consciousness.

"Wha… what happened?" Taro asked, a little dizzy as he regained his vision. Then he remembered about his notes. "My music! Where is it?" he looked it over at his piano, but it was not there. "I'm sure I finished the composition, it couldn't be gone. I remember signing on the music notes, but I can't remember anything after that."

"Mr. Mitsuki, please take it easy." Hanon said in a shaky tone, still worried about him. Taro sat down on the piano chair and tried to play the music he made, but to his confusion, he can't remember a single note. His confused state only worried Hanon even more. Her heart started to ache just looking at him like that.

"Strange. I can't remember a single note!" Taro exclaimed, rubbing his head with his hands as he tried to fight off the intense pain that he felt, but it only increased the more he tried to remember the recent events that caused his amnesia.

"Please tell me what happened. Please, Taro. Taro!" Hanon exclaimed, scared to the core for his wellbeing. It really pains her seeing him like this and she had to do something to ease his pain. Lucia and Rina ran immediately to call for the doctor, while Hanon brought a wash cloth and soaked it in cold water. She placed the cloth on his forehead, who was now lying on the couch, slowly relaxing as the pain subsided.

Taro was grateful that she helped him, but he revealed something that shocked Hanon from the inside out. The composition he made was for someone he cared about and Hanon was afraid that it might have been for his girlfriend. But to her great surprise, Taro revealed that his love interest is actually a mermaid of the Indian Ocean. He told her of that day how he accidentally noticed an orange silhouette of a majestic being that happened to be a beautiful mermaid, a memory which he values the most. Most of his friends considered him insane for saying such things, but Hanon knew better. She is a mermaid after all and it could be possible that there might be a mermaid princess of the Indian Ocean.

* * *

She stayed by his side until afternoon, where the sun started to set. Knowing that Taro was fine, the three mermaids headed back home.

"So, Taro has truly forgotten about his composition?" Lucia asked, with Hanon nodding in agreement.

"Isn't it a little strange that he couldn't remember anything that he wrote?" Rina asked, all too suspicious of this strange turn of events. She had doubts that someone had a hand on this.

"Yeah, it is kinda strange, now that you mentioned it." Lucia said, also suspicious of his sudden amnesia. But then Hanon suddenly stopped, frowning at the topic.

"What is it Hanon?" Lucia asked with a blank expression.

"I will not let anyone steal the music from my Taro. I will return that composition to him." Hanon said, determined to bring the notes back.

"But you don't even know who took the notes, it could be anyone. You don't even know where to look." Lucia said.

"I don't care. Can't you see how much he is in pain because of it? I just have to help him." Hanon said in a shaky voice, almost on the verge to cry.

"But you can't go from street to street to find it." Rina said.

"I know, but I have to try, you have to understand me." Hanon said desperately, tears falling a bit from her eyes as she darted to look for the notes wherever they could be.

"Hanon, wait!" Lucia called out for her, but Hanon only stopped for a moment.

"No matter, I will look for it myself!" Hanon exclaimed as she ran away to bring the music back, no matter the cost. But this only worried Lucia and Rina even more since she now went to search for the composition all by herself.

"This isn't good." Rina said in a worried tone.

"What do you mean? What's wrong, Rina?" Lucia asked, curious to find out what troubles her. Then Rina went to explain her concerns.

* * *

Meanwhile, Goku was training extensively at his usual training spot on the beach. His session was now over and he sat down to relax a bit, watching the sunset.

"Well, that does it for today." He smiled as he stood up. "And now it's time to get a well-deserved dinner." He said cheerfully before he looked to the sky. "FLYING NIMBUS!" He shouted to the sky, calling forth his trusted cloud. He immediately jumped on it and darted to the city, cheering out loud as he was flying fast. He always loved riding his cloud and taking to the sky, it never gets old. Even though he could eat at home, he had to get something roasted or cooked, since he was a lousy cook.

At the same time, Yuri's plan was slowly coming to fruition. With Taro's music notes in her hands, there was but one thing left to do; to lure the mermaids to her.

"With my magic, I will make this music even more attractive to the mermaids. It will be a melody that will be impossible to resist." Yuri smirked as she started to play the music, amplifying it with her power. She wasn't aware that Hanon was in the vicinity, charmed by the melody.

"What a beautiful music. It reminds of Taro's composition." Hanon said, closing her eyes and listening to the composition, completely hypnotized as she went closer and closer to the source.

Meanwhile, Rina finished explaining to Lucia her doubts. "Water demons? Are you saying they stole the notes from Mr. Mitsuki? I hope that's not the case."

"Yes, I don't have the proof, but I have a hunch. I mean, how could he possibly forget about his music like that?" Rina said, even more certain that they were involved with this.

"That means that Hanon is in trouble." Lucia said in a worried tone, immediately rushing to Hanon's side, with Rina following her.

Not far from Hanon, high in the skies, Goku made his way to grab something to eat. He was sitting on his cloud, his arms and legs crossed as he pondered on what food he should go for.

"I wonder what shall I eat for dinner this time. I was thinking about some egg fried chicken. Or maybe something simple, like pizza or…" He thought out loud with a blank expression until he suddenly sensed a sinister energy below him, stopping in his tracks as he stood up to look down below.

" _What was that? I sense a dark power level below. Strange, the energy signal is very familiar for some reason."_ He thought as he descended lower to inspect the power level he sensed. As he was getting closer, he heard a piano music, on that large rock, much to his confusion. Then he frowned as he saw a girl in a red dress playing the instrument, with an unknown person swimming towards her, thinking that it was a random swimmer falling into the villain's trap. This girl has the energy signature very similar to those Dark Lovers he fought over the past few days. He then knew he had to intervene before more innocent people are being hurt by this water demon.

Unknown to Goku, it was Hanon in her mermaid form, getting closer and closer to Yuri. She smirked as one of the mermaid princesses appeared. _"It works, the melody is attracting the mermaids."_ Yuri thought. But just as she was to capture Hanon and take her to her master, Goku suddenly appeared, smashing the Piano as he descended on the rock, catching Yuri completely off guard and breaking Hanon from her hypnosis.

"What happened?" Hanon asked herself before she noticed a familiar figure with black spiky hair. "It's Goku!" She was happy that he came to the rescue, but nonetheless she immediately submerged in the water. She knew that her mermaid form is not much different than her human form and that Goku was very perceptive, despite his naivety.

Goku looked to his left to find the swimmer, but to his confusion, he was nowhere to be seen. He merely shrugged, assuming he left back to the shore. He then turned his attention to the shocked Yuri.

"What, who did that?!" Yuri screamed in anger. She noticed a tall man with spiky hair standing defiantly against her.

"That would be me." Goku said with a serious look on his face, standing sideways and ready to fight.

"A human?" Then she recognized the warrior. "Ah I remember you. You are that annoying pest who keeps interfering with my master's plans." Yuri pointed at him with a frown.

"And you must be with those other Dark lover girls I fought." Goku retorted, clenching his fist as he remembered about the earlier encounter with her at the city mall. He didn't know for sure, but her hypnosis was very similar to that at the mall where many people were brainwashed and walking like zombies.

"You were just lucky to beat them. Don't expect me to make the same mistake." She gave him a cocky smirk, folding her arms defiantly. But Goku wasn't impressed, her power level was about the same like the other three he fought and he sighed inwardly in disappointment that she won't be a challenge at all.

"I'm giving you one chance to leave and never again harm innocent people, you are not strong enough to beat me, you will only get hurt." Goku warned without a shred of malice in his voice. But Yuri was not the one to back down, she got even angrier by this insult.

"I'll show you who is weak, human! I will take you to my master as a prize!" She screamed furiously, having a tick mark on her head. Goku sighed slightly, he knew she wouldn't back down, but this was getting old. He took up his fighting position, ready to fight Yuri. She did the same, gritting her teeth as she was ready to deliver some pain to this insolent fighter.

Soon after, Lucia and Rina caught up with Hanon. "Hanon, are you alright?" Lucia asked in a worried tone.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks to Goku." Hanon smiled.

"Goku?" Said shocked Lucia. She didn't expect him to pop out of nowhere to face Yuri.

"Yes. But don't worry, he seems to have everything under control." Hanon reassured her.

"Maybe, but we should still wait here and be ready to jump in if he gets in trouble." Rina suggested, with Lucia and Hanon nodding in agreement. Lucia was afraid that he might get hurt, but she can't get out of the water without revealing her identity and she was forced to remain underwater with her friends, who are watching the fight.

Yuri growled as her eyes glowed, catching Goku off guard as a sudden explosion erupted at his feet, sending him backwards a few feet. Lucia's heart stopped a beat as he fell down on the ground. She tried to intervene, but Rina silently said otherwise as she caught her by her shoulder, making her stop in her tracks. Yuri chuckled evilly, but then she was shocked that the attack didn't even make a scratch on him, much to Lucia's relief.

"Well, that's different." Goku said in a slightly surprised tone. He then stood up, this time ready for the attack. Yuri growled as her eyes started to glow again, this time Goku dashed on time. Yuri continued her assault, but Goku continued to dodge her attacks. Then she stopped to recover the lost energy.

"I have to say… whoever you are.. that's an impressive technique." He smiled confidently before his face turned serious again. "But you will have to do a lot better then that."

Yuri growled. "My name is Yuri, you brainless oaf!" Yuri barked before she spread her arms wide. "And now try to dodge this attack!" she exclaimed as she conjured a volley of water tendrils that were aimed at Goku. He merely smirked as he dodged her attacks with relative ease. Yuri tried to hit him over and over again, but to no avail. Goku got tired of playing around and he decided to give her a final warning before he went on the offensive.

"Give up, Yuri. You can't lay a hand on me, you will only get hurt." He warned with a stern look. But then his stomach started to growl, making him lose his focus for a second as he rubbed his stomach. Yuri used this opportunity to conjure a powerful explosion at his feel, making him fall on his back. Yuri spent most of her energy into the attack, but to her great surprise, she only managed to knock him back, but not damage him.

"What is that guy made of, solid metal?" Said shocked Yuri. Goku frowned, he was giving her a chance to leave, but she chose to attack him instead. He immediately got up and used the Afterimage technique to leave an image of himself before he disappeared. Yuri looked around, but she couldn't find him. Goku then reappeared behind her and gave her a light chop on her neck, making her lose consciousness and dropping Taro's composition in the process before she vanished.

The mermaids were yet again shocked and surprised by his performance. His speed was incredible, he moved so fast he left an illusion of himself and couldn't find him anywhere until he reappeared behind Yuri.

Goku noticed a set of papers that were dropped before Yuri disappeared. He gathered them all up, much to the mermaid's confusion, but Hanon thought for a second that it could be Taro's notes. Goku noticed a signature with letters T and M.

"TM? I wonder what it means. Guess I'll hold onto these until I find out." he tilted his head in confusion as he tried to figure out the meaning of those two letters. He guessed that it's someone name and surname, but he didn't know who exactly.

Hanon gasped in shock. Those were Taro's notes. "What is it Hanon?" Lucia asked. The three of them were hiding behind a large rock away from Goku's sight, so they wouldn't get caught.

"That belongs to Taro! I need to get to Goku before he leaves." Hanon exclaimed as she immediately swimmed to the shore to assume her human form and call out to him before he departs home. Lucia and Rina followed her, the fight was over and they wouldn't want to get caught in their mermaid forms.

He put the notes in his pocket and then called out for his transportation. "NIMBUS!" he shouted to the sky and the yellow cloud appeared and jumped on it as soon as it landed. But just as he was about to leave, a familiar voice called out to him.

"GOKUU!" Hanon shouted, raising her hands in the air. Goku turned around to see Hanon calling out to him, standing next to Lucia and Rina. "HEY GOKUU! OVER HERE!" she shouted.

"Hey, it's Hanon! And Lucia and Rina!" he exclaimed cheerfully, immediately flying to their side. He jumped off the cloud right in front of them.

"Hey girls, what's wrong?" he asked with a blank expression.

"Goku, do you have the composition with you?" Hanon pleaded, grabbing his shirt. Goku sweat-dropped a bit by the sudden plea.

"Umm, you mean this?" He pulled the notes from his pocket and showed it to Hanon. She instantly grabbed the notes and deeply sighed in relief that the notes were intact. She felt a surge of immense pure joy as she started to cry. She couldn't be more grateful to Goku then now for saving the notes that her Taro cherished.

"Are you okay Hanon? Did I do something…" He was about to ask, but Hanon interrupted him by giving him a tight hug.

"Oh thank you Goku, thank you so much for saving these notes. Thank you!" She exclaimed between her happy sobs, thanking him over and over again for what he did.

Goku laughed nervously, rubbing her back to soothe her sobs. "Sure, anytime." But then he glanced at Lucia, who was smiling, much to his surprise. He smiled back as well. Normally, Lucia would have been extremely jealous if another girl was talking to him, let alone hug him, but this was her best friend and she was glad that everything turned out alright. Besides, Hanon's love interest was Taro and not Goku, which was yet another reason why she didn't go crazy in that moment.

* * *

After Hanon calmed down, Goku and the mermaids immediately went back to Taro's residence, where they would bring the composition back and hopefully restore his memories. Hanon knocked on his door, with Taro opening it for them.

"Hi everyone, it's great to see you again." Taro smiled, not wanting to be rude. But Hanon immediately pulled out the notes from her pocket.

"Mr. Mitsuki, we have found the composition for you." She smiled.

"My music notes! Where did you find them?" Taro was shocked that they found his music notes, but was also happy that they weren't lost. Or worse, torn into pieces which would probably happen if Yuri's plan worked. He took the notes from her gently.

"It doesn't matter, they are safe and back in your possession." Hanon smiled brightly. Goku, Lucia and Rina merely smiled that everything turned out fine for Hanon and Taro.

"I can't thank you enough, you guys. You have no idea how much this means to me." Taro smiled, immensely grateful that the composition he made for his mermaid wasn't lost.

"We were glad to help you, Mr. Mitsuki." Lucia smiled.

"Come on it for a tea, you've earned it." Taro gladly invited them inside, with four of them happily obliging. Much to their surprise and relief, his memories came back to him as he played the music, remembering every note he composed.

* * *

The next day, Taro played his composition in the large hall with many people attending the event, with Hanon being there, along with Goku, Lucia and Rina. Hanon smiled cheerfully as Taro played his music, so glad to see him on the stage playing his piano. Lucia turned his attention to Goku.

"Goku, did you know that Mr. Mitsuki wrote this beautiful music in memory of the mermaid he saw?" Lucia smiled, hoping that this little hint will help him out a bit to solve the puzzle concerning her identity.

Goku glanced at her. "In memory of a mermaid?" Goku asked.

"Yeah, he told us he saw one at the Indian Ocean." Lucia said cheerfully. It was so touching for her that Taro wrote this music in memory of someone he loved.

"Wow, I didn't know. It sounds like he really cared about her." Goku smiled, finding it also touching. He had flashbacks of his encounter with his own mermaid several times, but his most fond memory was the kiss at the pool. He didn't know why, but that kiss was so invigorating, even thinking about it made him happy.

" _I wonder if you remember me as a mermaid. I hope one day you will understand that I'm right in front of you."_ She thought as she looked at Goku before turning her gaze to Taro with a smile on her face. _"And we can make new memories… together."_ She smiled at the thought. She realized that Goku was not far from uncovering her identity and she only needs to be patient. She knew that everything will come to place when the time comes.


	6. Chapter 6

~Departure~

It was a day before the school trip on an island and Lucia and Hanon were excited for a chance to get close to their respective love interests, Goku and Taro. Currently, they are in the Pearl Hotel, preparing themselves for a time of their lives.

"Woohoo!" Lucia and Hanon cheered.

"Tomorrow is a school trip at last, I can't wait!" Hanon said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I'm so excited!" Lucia cheered, who was also very thrilled at the prospect of skipping classes and going on a school trip.

"Oh wait, I forgot something." Hanon suddenly darted to quickly change her clothes, which surprised Lucia a bit. She immediately came back with a towel wrapped around her. She removed her towel to reveal a blue bikini.

"What do you think? I saw it in the store the other day and I bought it just for this occasion." Hanon smiled.

"Wow, it looks really cute." Lucia smiled, but suddenly her expression was blank as she remembered about swimming in the water. "Wait, you don't plan to get in the water, right?" she asked curiously.

"Of course not, mermaids can't go near the water. This bikini is just for showing off, if you know what I mean. I plan to impress Taro." She said as she posed in the most attractive way she can think of as she thought about Taro.

"I see. And I plan on this trip to get as close as possible with Goku." Lucia said with a determined look on her face. This is the perfect opportunity, but she only hoped he will skip on his training for once and go with the others on an island.

"Good luck!" Hanon exclaimed, her fist high, eager for action.

"You too!" Lucia exclaimed as well, her fist also in the air. But Hippo, who was sitting at the chair near them, drinking his juice, was shaking his head as he just couldn't understand why they were so happy. They are going on an island, surrounded by sea water and a high chance of revealing their identities. But it was pointless to warn them as they are too excited to listen.

"I don't understand why the mermaids enjoy themselves so much near the water." He said as he sipped his juice.

While Lucia and Hanon were discussing on what to do during their school trip, Nicole was writing on her notebook, pondering on how to earn more currency for the hotel.

"I should be making enough money for living, but we really need to draw in more customers." Then Nicole turned her attention to Madame Taki, who was sitting from the other side of the table. "So, do you have any ideas?"

Taki didn't say anything as she suddenly pulled out a dart, much to Nicole's confusion, and threw it at the map where Lucia and Hanon were sitting, pinned on the table. This caught the girls completely off guard and startled them both, along with Hippo.

"What are you doing, Madame Taki? That is a dangerous thing to do." Hippo asked in shock.

"There is a hidden treasure at the location where the dart fell down." Taki said as she looped her hands around her crystal ball.

"A treasure? Like a real treasure?" Lucia asked curiously.

"But that's where we go on a school trip." Hanon added.

"I see a lone cypress, along with a long beach with winding stone stairs. And lastly I see an ancient well." Taki continued as she closed her eyes, her hands still looping around the crystal ball.

"Oh wow Hanon, a hidden treasure!" Lucia exclaimed, even more excited now that there was a treasure to be found on their school trip.

"Lucia, remember that this is Madame Taki speaking." Hanon said, not believing in a single word she said.

"Come on Hanon, let's go and get ready for treasure hunting." Lucia said as she pushed Hanon to their room impatiently, eager to find the treasure Taki mentioned. But aside from Hanon, Nicole was also skeptical.

"Taki, do you really see all that from a crystal ball?" She said in a doubtful tone, her arms folded as she waited for her answer.

"Nope. I just read a brochure about an island a few days ago." Taki said casually, with Nicole sweat-dropping as she expected that kind on answer from her. She wonders if her predictions are ever true.

* * *

Far away from South City, at the lone beach, Goku decided to take a break from his vigorous training session and decided to take a dip in the water and catch some giant tuna fishes. He took off his clothes and jumped in the water with nothing but boxers on him.

" _Alright, time to see if I can find me some fish. They always make a good snack._ " He thought, grinning as he submerged deep in the water while holding his breath. But since he was at the sea, those fishes were hard to find, though ten minutes later, he was fortunate to stumble upon a giant fish swimming in front of him.

" _Oh wow, look at the size of that thing! With a fish that big, I'll be full till dinner."_ He thought excitedly as he immediately darted to catch his food. The fish on instinct attempted to devour Goku, but he dodged the fish effortlessly. This was no big deal as he caught plenty of those fishes in the past back home at Mount Paozu. As the fish charged at Goku again, he clenched his fist and punched the fish hard from its left side, killing it as soon as he punched it. Satisfied, he pulled the fish to the shore and was ready to eat his snack.

"Alright, I caught a huge one this time!" he exclaimed cheerfully as he lifted the fish up and carried it to be cooked. As he dropped the fish near the campfire, he heard a familiar voice calling out for him.

"Hi Goku!" A woman with turquoise hair greeted Goku. He smiled with a toothy grin as an old friend of his came to visit.

"Hey Bulma, how's it going?!" He exclaimed cheerfully, waving his hand to greet her.

"Not much. I just came to visit you, since you don't have the time to fly over to Capsule corp." Bulma pouted with a fake anger, folding her arms. Goku sweat-dropped nervously, she always looks scary when she is angry.

"I'm sorry, I just had a lot of things to do." He waved his hands in front of him in defense, laughing nervously a bit as he tried to make her feel better. Bulma wasn't actually angry at Goku. In fact, she was always glad to see him, but that didn't mean she couldn't play around with him once in a while. His naïve nature was refreshing for her. He always tried to make her feel better, even though she wasn't truly angry.

"Like what, training?" She pointed out the obvious as she took a few steps towards him, almost coming into contact with his face. "Now you listen, mister. Just because you have to fight at a World Martial Arts Tournament, doesn't mean that you can't visit your friends once in a while." She frowned as she poked his chest. Though a word 'friend' was not something she would say in Goku's case, she was still in dilemma about Yamcha as well. She cared about him, but at the same time she would have liked to have Goku as a boyfriend as well.

"No, I mean it." he said as he took a step back so he wouldn't be slapped in the face. "I mean, it's true, I have been training this whole time, but I had to go to school. And besides, we have a school trip tomorrow and it should be a lot of fun." He smiled brightly. Though going to school meant that he would get to hang out with his friends, especially Lucia, for she too likes to be around him most of the time.

"If you say so." She smiled, dropping her serious bravado aside. He always made her heart warm because he is always so cheerful and carefree. His body may have changed, but his personality is still the same. "And I assume you will go to this school trip because of this Lucia girl, am I right?" she started to tease him with a sly grin.

"Ah come on Bulma, we are just friends, honest!" He exclaimed nervously, sweat dropping and flushing pink a bit. Though at the very mention of Lucia's name sends a surge of unknown stream through his chest for reasons he couldn't understand.

"If so, then why are you blushing? It's not the sun, is it?" She teased him further. Goku could only stare at her with an innocent expression on his face, though still flushing pink. Bulma merely giggled by his blank stare.

"Man, you are so easy to read, like an open book." Bulma joked, but she approached him and blissfully looked at him. "But that's who you are, Goku. You haven't changed at all since the first time I met you." She said in a gentle tone. Goku merely grinned sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head, laughing light-heartedly.

"Well, it was great to see you again, but I'm afraid I have to go. I'll see you soon." Bulma winked at him before she departed. He didn't understand the meaning of it, but he shrugged it and merely waved goodbye to her.

"Bye Bulma." Goku waved goodbye, smiling as he watched her depart. But then his stomach started to growl and he immediately lit a campfire and impaled the fish to be roasted for a few hours. Bulma merely shook her head while rolling her eyes.

" _Typical Goku."_ she thought while smiling.

* * *

At the same time, within Gaito's castle, Eril revealed a hidden treasure to her master and her plan on recovering it for him.

"A magical ring that can fulfill any wish?" Gaito asked casually.

"Yes. It's possible that it's the same ring from the legend. Please let me investigate." Eril pleaded, itching for a chance to finally gain Gaito's favor. But Gaito, on the other hand, was not interested in the slightest in their failed antics. He had more pressing matters, like coming up with a strategy on how to quickly deal with that annoying warrior Goku and then take the pearls from the mermaids.

"Very well, then. You may go." He said in an uninterested tone. But suddenly, Yuri appeared from the shadows.

"I'm back and I brought a very valuable item." Yuri said while carrying a decorated trinket in her hands.

"Well Yuri, I see you have been playing around again." Eril mocked.

"Shut up." Yuri glared at Eril, gritting her teeth, but quickly composed herself as she explained to Gaito her plan. "Look, master Gaito, this is the sacred item of Panthalassa, The Mermaid's Urn. It has the power to absorb any kind of energy. I plan to use it to deprive the mermaids of their annoying singing."

"Fine. The two of you will go and proceed with your plan." Gaito ordered. Though in his mind, he was doubtful of her plan. The mermaids were becoming a bigger nuisance by the day, but anything is possible and he will just wait and see how the things will turn out.

* * *

The next day, the entire class was on their way to the island. Lucia and Hanon were leaning on the fence as they couldn't wait to reach their destination.

"Wow, this ship is so fast." Lucia said cheerfully.

"Be careful, so you don't fall down in the water." Rina warned in a calm tone.

"Don't worry about me. Worry about Lucia." Hanon joked, with Lucia pouting by her statement. But then Rina noticed that Lucia's bag is open for some reason.

"Lucia." Rina called out.

"What is it, Rina?" Lucia turned around with a curious expression.

"Why is your bag open?" Rina asked. Lucia was wondering as well, but as she was about to inspect her bag, something was moving in there.

"Hey girls, it's me." Hippo suddenly popped out from the bag.

"Hippo? What are you doing in there?" Lucia asked, completely surprised to find him in her own bag.

"Nicole asked me to keep an eye on all of you, otherwise I would have stayed back at the hotel." Hippo explained.

"And what's with the food and the stuff I packed in there?" Lucia frowned, noticing the food stains around Hippo's mouth.

"Well, I was hungry, so I had to take a few snacks." Hippo said casually, but it only irritated Lucia.

"Hey, that was mine!" Lucia said in an angry tone as she quickly closed the bag to lock Hippo inside.

"Look, we are here." Rina smiled as she noticed that they have finally arrived. Lucia and Hanon turned their attention to the direction Rina was watching and they smiled brightly. But Lucia noticed a lone tree on a hill near the coast that oddly enough, was part of Madame Taki's prediction.

" _A lone cypress. Madame Taki was right_." Lucia thought, surprised that Taki actually got it right for once.

As soon as they all arrived, they quickly made their way to their rooms, so they can relax and then later on, go to the beach to have fun.

"Wow. Look who is residing in a house next to ours." Hanon said cheerfully as it so happened that the three of them are accommodated near Taro.

"Hi Hanon. It seems we are the neighbors." Taro smiled.

"Yeah, what a wonderful coincidence, right Lucia? Rina?" Hanon smiled brightly as she glanced to her best friends. Rina was not really overjoyed, as she knew this will only turn into Hanon being a constant dreamer whenever she gets near Taro. Lucia, on the other hand, was a lot more optimistic.

"That's great. I think we will all have a great time." Lucia smiled. But she got surprised as she noticed another familiar face. It was Goku.

" _Wow, Goku Is residing next to us too."_ Lucia thought while flushing pink a bit. Goku was smiling as he inspected his residence. It looked very comfortable and it will definitely give him a good nap when it comes to that. Then he turned his attention to Lucia, surprised that she will be in a house close to his.

"Hi Lucia." Lucia smiled with a toothy grin, making Lucia blush even more. Goku snickered before he noticed Hippo behind Lucia. "Oh, I see you brought your penguin pet along." He said. Lucia wasn't aware that Hippo was right next to her. She quickly grabbed him and hid him behind her.

"Well yeah, I thought he might enjoy a little near the sea." She grinned nervously while laughing a bit. Goku tilted his head in confusion. It wasn't the first time she brought him along. He merely shrugged as he went inside his room to leave the bag he brought for the trip.

Half an hour later, after the classmates had their rest, they all went to the beach. All of them were having fun, splashing in the water and having a great time. Except for Lucia, Hanon and Rina, who were sitting in the shade beneath the tree, knowing that they can't get near the water without revealing their true forms in front of everyone.

"This stinks. You come all this way and you can't even get in the water." Hanon whined. She really hoped she would join the others and have fun, but due to her being a mermaid, that is impossible.

Goku was also having fun, but then he noticed that the three of them were sitting in the distance beneath the tree. He decided to go there and invite them to join him.

"Hey girls. What are you doing way over here? Come on, let's go and have fun, the water is great." He smiled brightly. Lucia smiled and flushed pink as she immediately got up and went to join him.

"Okay." Lucia smiled brightly. But then she was stopped by Rina, who caught her by her shoulder. "Rina?" she looked at her with a blank expression.

"Don't even think about getting in the water." Rina warned in a serious tone, reminding Lucia of what will happen if the water touches her. Lucia remembered immediately as she quickly turned her attention back to Goku. Goku tilted his head in confusion by Rina's warning. She sounded like it was a dangerous thing to do. But for what reason, he didn't know.

"I'm sorry Goku, I don't know how to swim." Lucia lied. Goku sweat-dropped, almost losing his balance from her words. If that was all, then why was Rina so concerned? She was probably worried that she will drown if she goes in there. Then Goku smiled.

"Don't worry, I can teach you how to swim. It's very easy." Goku suggested. Lucia wanted so badly to have fun with him, but she simply couldn't, not without revealing her true form in front of him.

"I can't, I'm sorry. But maybe later." Lucia smiled nervously. Goku was relieved that it was nothing serious and that it was just because she couldn't swim. Believing she was scared to enter the water at the moment, he decided not to force her to go as he simply dropped the subject.

"Okay Lucia. See ya later." Goku said as he returned to swim in the water. Lucia looked at him sadly, her chance blown because of that stupid curse. As for Rina, seeing that there was nothing to do, decided to leave.

"Where are you going, Rina?" Hanon asked curiously.

"I'm going to take a nap. There is nothing to do here anyway." Rina said casually.

"You are right. I'm going to see what Taro is doing." Hanon said, determined to form a stronger bond with Taro.

With Rina and Hanon gone, Lucia was left alone at the tree. She wished she could swim with Goku, but that option was thrown out the window as soon as Rina warned her about it. She was standing there for about ten minutes before someone approached her from behind.

"Aren't you going to swim in the water, young lady?" asked an unknown person politely. Lucia turned around to see who it was. He was a small and slender elder with a summer hat.

"Oh, good day sir. Are you living on this island?" Lucia asked with a blank expression on her face.

"Yes, I have been living here for a long time." The old man took a few steps forward, standing next to Lucia.

"This island is so beautiful." Lucia smiled.

"Yes, nothing changed over the years. I remember it being like this ever since the time of the legend." He said.

"Legend, what legend?" Lucia asked curiously, though this is starting to sound oddly familiar to Madame Taki's predictions. Then the old man started to give her directions to the location of the artifact.

"Well, young lady, if you follow the coast from that side, you will reach a cliff called The Purple Boulder. There you will find a massive cave and within its caverns, a chamber that contains a magical ring that can fulfill any wish." He explained.

"Any wish?" Lucia asked. This story is starting to sound very familiar.

"Yes, but only one. At least, according to legend and it's up to you to believe." He said as he stared at the ocean.

" _Any wish in the world?"_ Lucia thought excitedly. This story sounded exactly like Goku's story about the Dragon Balls. She couldn't believe it. And the ring was right here on the island. She didn't waste a second as she ran to inform Hanon.

The old man suddenly pulled out something from behind him, revealing a candy rings in the box. "Now that I told you the story, how about I treat you with the specialty of this island? A candy magical ring, only for… umm…" The old man realized that the girl was gone. So much for selling his goods.

" _Any wish the world. Magical ring. It sounds incredible."_ Lucia thought, barely containing the pure joy from the inside as she continued to run. This was just too good to be true. Instead of looking for seven Dragon balls around the world to grant her wish, a magical ring appeared that can do the same. And it's on this island, ripe for the taking. This is just too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Meanwhile, Taro was checking on every student on the island to see if they were all accounted for. He was sitting on a chair near a group of students who are playing volleyball, seeing if they were all on the list.

"Well, everything seems to be alright here." He said in a bored tone. This wasn't his line of work, but someone had to do it. He took his binoculars and observed from the distance the other students, who are swimming in the water. But to his slight surprise, Hanon was posing in front of him in her bikini.

"Hanon, why are you doing that?" He asked, slightly annoyed.

"What do you think? I'm trying to gain some attention." Hanon smiled as she posed in front of him.

"Please, don't bother me while I'm working, Hanon." Taro sighed in a slight frustration. The last thing he needed was to be scolded by the school council for being lazy in his work. But suddenly, Lucia called out to her.

"Hanon!" Lucia shouted in the distance excitedly, waving her hand.

"What is it Lucia?" Hanon asked curiously.

"The treasure, Hanon, the treasure!" Lucia said, having stars in her eyes as she held Hanon's hands.

"What are you talking about?" Hanon sweat-dropped, couldn't really understand why was she so excited about.

"The treasure that Madame Taki mentioned, it's right here, on this island. Let's go and look for it." Lucia said cheerfully. But Hanon doesn't believe in that silly story.

"No thanks, I'm not interested." Hanon said casually.

"But why?" Lucia asked, surprised that she would pass up something like this.

"Listen Lucia, if you haven't noticed, I'm busy flirting with Taro. Now go." Hanon turned around and smiled. "Well done, mister…" Hanon was surprised that Taro wasn't here anymore. She looked around to find him departing somewhere. "Taro, wait up." She called out for him as she ran away to catch up with him. Lucia pouted disappointingly.

"Well, I give up on Hanon." Lucia said as she sighed in defeat. When it comes to Taro, she is a lost case. Seeing that there was nothing else she can do, she decided to go back to the house where the three of them resided and went to ask Rina instead. A few minutes later, she found Rina lying on the sunbed with a magazine on her face.

"A treasure, Rina. Let's go and look for it." Lucia smiled brightly, hoping she will tag along, but Rina only looked at her for a second, completely uninterested in that ridiculous story as well.

"No." Rina simply said, then continued to nap, leaving Lucia even more disappointed as she let out a short sigh filled with irritation. Those two are so lazy to go on an adventure. In the end, she decided to go alone with Hippo.

She was inside the house, packing some necessary supplies if she gets lost in the cave by any chance.

"Let's go, Hippo. Hanon and Rina really know how to spoil the fun." Lucia smiled as she was packing a few things in her bag. "We might need food as well."

"I still don't see how this has got to do anything with me." Hippo said.

"Because you ate everything." Lucia frowned. Hippo remained silent as she made a valid point. He had no choice but to tag along, mostly because he was afraid of letting her go alone, especially on an island.

Lucia and Hippo were on their way to find The Purple Boulder the old man mentioned. Along the way, they discovered something that surprised them both.

"Look, Hippo. A stone stairs, it's just like Madame Taki said." Lucia said. The two of them continued to follow the coast, until they discovered another construction, surprising them even more.

"Look, an ancient well. We are on the right path." Lucia smiled brightly.

"I can't believe that Madame Taki was so precise." Hippo said in a surprised tone. Even he had to admit that Taki had something in her as an oracle after all. Certain they were on the right track, they continued to follow the coast until they saw a cave opening in the distance, with an enormous purple boulder standing upright near the cliff.

"There it is. The Purple Boulder." Lucia said cheerfully. Finally they have found it. Lucia wasted no time as she immediately ran inside the cave, with Hippo quickly following her. They were surprised that the cavern was so massive. It felt like they entered a labyrinth.

"Wow, this cave is so big. A man can easily lose himself." Lucia said to herself as she checked her surroundings. Everything looked the same. "I know, I'll leave some bread crumbs so we don't get lost." She dropped a crumb of bread and continued to go deeper inside the cave. Hippo followed, but he didn't know why she was dropping the bread crumbs, so he ate it.

"Hippo, are you coming?" Lucia asked.

"Yeah." He said simply. The two of them continued to go deeper inside the cave. Lucia left more crumbs along the way, but Lucia noticed that he ate the crumb that she just dropped.

"Hippo, did you just… ate that crumb?" Said a slightly shocked Lucia.

"Yup. It was delicious." Hippo said casually.

"Don't tell me you ate all of the crumbs I dropped." Lucia couldn't believe that this is happening right now.

"Yeah and they were good." Hippo said, not realizing what he had done. Lucia looked at him for a second with blank expression as she processed Hippo's utter stupidity.

"What were you thinking, you little bird?! That was out way home!" Lucia exclaimed, her voice mixed with shock and irritation.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist." Hippo apologized, but it couldn't fix anything at this point.

"You couldn't resist?!" Lucia exclaimed, even more shocked of how he could be so careless. She was so angry that she could strangle him on the spot.

"Those are the bird qualities." Hippo said, trying to make an excuse, but it only made Lucia even more frustrated.

"Hippo, you are a small penguin!" Lucia shouted, having a tick mark on her head. Now she has a legitimate reason to strangle him right now. Seeing this, Hippo quickly ran away, but he wasn't aware that there was a hole beneath him and he fell down. Lucia quickly followed, kneeling down and calling out for him.

"Hippo, are you alright? Hippo?!" Lucia called out, now being concerned if he was alright. But there was no answer. She tried over and over again, but to no avail.

"What am I going to do? I must help Hippo, but I don't know where he is." She took a few steps back and accidentally bumped the back of her head onto a stone, making a part of the cavern collapse above her, trapping her in the dead corner she found herself in.

* * *

Meanwhile, some distance away from the beach, Goku decided to train light by doing some one-handed pushups after he had his fun at the beach.

"4996… 4997… 4998… 4999… 5000." He jumped backwards after he was done, deciding on what to do next.

"Now let's see, what to do next?" Goku asked himself as he pondered on what to do for his next exercise. "I guess I could go and practice some punches and kicks." He smiled. But as he was about to commence, Taro approached him from his right side.

"Hi Goku." Taro said with a slight sound of concern in his voice. Goku noticed this as he approached Taro.

"Hi, Mr. Mitsuki. What's wrong, did something happen?" Goku asked with a blank expression.

"Actually, something did. I was checking on all of the students, but it would seem that Lucia is gone." Taro explained.

"What?" Goku frowned, now being a bit worried about Lucia's wellbeing.

"I was wondering if you have noticed her. Since she doesn't know how to swim, she probably went further inland." Taro said, looking around.

"Don't worry, I'll go and find her." Goku said in a slightly serious tone, immediately running to check on her. Knowing that Lucia can't swim, there is a good chance she might accidentally fall down in the water and drown. He looked around the island, but he had no luck. He decided to ask the locals if they saw her by any chance. He asked an old man with a hat who happened to be nearby.

"Excuse me sir, but have you seen a girl with short blonde hair, by any chance?" Goku asked politely, but a little impatient as he wanted to find her as soon as possible.

"A girl with short blonde hair?" The old man tried to remember, but moments later, he did. "Ah yes, i think I did."

"Really? Do you know where she went?" Goku asked quickly.

"I believe she went that way, towards The Purple Boulder." The old man pointed in the direction Lucia went.

"Great. Thank you very much." Goku bowed before he immediately sprinted to find Lucia.

"Perhaps I can interest you with some…" The old man again pulled out a box with candy rings, but Goku disappeared. He sighed in frustration a bit. "I can see I won't sell a thing today. So much for being nice." He frowned.

* * *

Within the cave, Lucia was still alive and well. The ceiling collapsed and sealed the passageway, trapping her inside, but she wasn't hurt.

"Man that was close." Lucia said, who fell down on the ground after the ceiling collapsed. "What am I going to do? I'm trapped here." She looked at the sealed passage blocked by the stone barrier. She then looked down sadly on the ground. "Oh Goku, where are you?" She pleaded for help from him, but he wasn't here.

But fortunately for Lucia, Goku followed the coast in the direction the old man showed him. He soon reached a cliff leading to the entrance of the cave.

"This must be it, The Purple Boulder." He said to himself as he made his way to the entrance. He then closed his eyes and frowned as he tried to sense Lucia's energy. To his relief, he sensed that she is inside the cave. He is also relieved that her energy didn't drop, which meant that she was unharmed. But still, knowing that the water usually fills the underground caverns, he immediately went inside to rescue her.

Meanwhile, Lucia could only sit and pray that someone comes to rescue her. She bent her knees close to her chest and rubbed her hands to warm herself up, due to how the caves can be cold with the absence of the sun.

"I don't know where Hippo is. The situation is hopeless." She despaired, knowing she can't breach through the stone barrier. "It's so cold and dark in here." She started to shiver a bit. But to her great surprise, she heard a familiar voice calling out for her.

"Lucia! Where are you?!" Goku called out to her, but with no answer. He was certain she was here, her energy signal is unmistakable. But where? This whole cave looked like a maze and a man could easily lose its track and be stuck here forever.

Lucia smiled, sighing in relief. "It's Goku. He came to rescue me." She immediately stood up and called out for him. "Goku! Over here!" she shouted. He heard her voice being louder and louder as he approached the source of the voice.

"Don't worry Lucia, I'm coming! Stay where you are!" He shouted, smiling brightly as he ran quickly to her location.

"I was looking for a treasure, but then I lost myself. Please hurry, I'm scared." Lucia said in a shaky voice, a little frightened that she was trapped in a dark and cold environment.

"Hold on, I'm on my way!" Goku reassured her, getting closer and closer. Lucia had a few tear drops forming in her eyes and blushed pink, cupping her hands as she stared on the ground. She was happy that Goku came to rescue her, but also sad that she couldn't find the ring and make her wish. Goku quickly reached her and found that she was trapped behind a stone barrier.

"I'm here, Lucia. Are you alright?" He asked, his voice filled with concern, even though he could see through a small opening that she didn't had a scratch on her. He had to be sure though.

"Goku!" She smiled brightly, flushing pink, her heart filled with joy as she couldn't have been happier that her Goku came to rescue her.

"Don't worry Lucia, I'll bust you out of there before you know can say 'The Purple Boulder.'" He smiled, making Lucia giggle a bit. But then he frowned. "But first, I need you to lean against a wall."

"Huh, why?" she tilted her head in confusion with blank expression, a little concerned of what is Goku actually planning to do.

"Just do it, trust me." He gave her a reassuring smile before he took a few steps back. Lucia did as he told her and leaned against a wall. Then Goku placed his left foot forward and right foot backward as he was ready to clear the way. After a few moments, he charged at the barrier, jumped in midair and flying kicked his way through the obstacle. Rocks were flying in the direction Goku kicked, leaving Lucia unharmed. Lucia covered her head to protect herself from flying rocks, but none of them hit her.

"Are you okay?" Goku asked as he approached her. Lucia's eyes were wide in surprise before she smiled brightly.

"Wow Goku, that was incredible!" She said in amazement, he went through that barrier like it was nothing. Goku snickered childishly before he smiled. He sighed in relief inwardly that everything turned out alright.

"Now let's get out of here, the others are concerned about you." He suggested. Lucia didn't linger for a second as she immediately followed Goku.

At the same time, Eril arrived near the cave.

"The magical ring should be in there." Eril said as she hovered on the sea surface. She then glanced grudgingly at Yuri, whom she had to tag along with due to Gaito's orders. "I still have no idea why did I have to go with you." She frowned.

"A ring that can fulfill any wish. I can't wait to get my hands on it." Yuri said, blushing pink a bit as she daydreamed about her and Gaito.

"No way! That ring is mine!" Eril shouted angrily, pointing her finger at Yuri while having tick marks.

Meanwhile, Goku and Lucia are trying to find a way out of the cave to return to others. Lucia was wondering about Goku coming to rescue her in the first place. Was it intentional or just pure luck? She had to know the answer.

"Goku, can I ask you something?" Lucia asked in a gentle voice. Goku turned his attention to her.

"Sure, what is it?" He asked.

"Why did you come to rescue me?" She hesitantly asked.

"Well, Mr. Mitsuki told me you were missing, so I had to look for you." Goku smiled.

"That's not what I meant." Lucia blushed pink, stopping in her tracks as she looked down sadly on the ground. Goku raised his eyebrow in confusion by her sudden change of mood. He really didn't know why, but her sad expression was painful to watch.

"Well, to be honest, I was a little worried." Lucia was surprised by his confession as she looked at him, her eyes wide in surprise. Goku took a few steps to get closer to her, looking at her with a somewhat serious expression. "After I found out that you didn't know how to swim and you were trapped in an underwater cave, I knew I had to look for you as fast as I possibly could." Goku then smiled. "And that's the truth, Lucia."

Lucia could only smile gently as she looked at his beautiful onyx eyes, her heart fluttering by his heroic act. _"Thank you, Goku."_ She thought in a gentle voice. Goku then turned sideways, but without averting her gaze from Lucia.

"Come on, let's find the exit. Mr. Mitsuki and the others are probably worried sick by now." He smiled before he moved on, with Lucia gladly following suit.

At the same time, Eril and Yuri were walking inside the cave, trying to find the chamber where the ring resided. Yuri is starting to get impatient by the maze-like caverns.

"Boy, this cave is like a labyrinth." Eril pointed out. But as for Yuri, she had enough as she couldn't stand watching all of the endless passageways on their way.

"This place is starting to irritate me!" She exclaimed angrily as she conjured a water ball and fired it at the cave wall, opening a path in their direction. "There, this will take care of that stupid maze." She grinned.

"You really are full of yourself, are you?" Eril sweat-dropped. If she continues like this, she will probably collapse the entire cave on their heads.

"Now this is more like it." She smirked as she conjured another water ball and fired it, causing a quake that startled Lucia and surprised Goku a bit.

"What was that, an earthquake?" Lucia asked, holding Goku's hand. But Goku frowned by the sudden quake.

" _This was no earthquake."_ He thought grimly. He knew that the quake was not natural, it was an aftershock of a potent attack. He wasn't certain completely, but he had a strong feeling someone else is here to cause trouble. He turned his attention to Lucia and smiled, trying not to worry her.

"Yeah probably, but nothing to worry about." He lied. "Come on, let's move on." He said, with Lucia following him.

After Hanon and Rina have heard that Lucia was missing, they both dressed up and made their way to The Purple Boulder as well.

"What has Lucia gotten herself into this time?" Hanon frowned, a little irritated by Lucia's actions. She felt like she was hanging out with a five-year old child.

"Do you think she would have come all the way here?" Rina asked.

"If you believe what that old man had said, then this must be the place." Hanon added. Then both of them heard a sound of explosion echoing from the distance.

"What was that?" Hanon asked.

"It sounds like the Dark Lovers." Rina said. They both nodded as they ran to find Lucia quickly before she was harmed, not knowing that Goku was with her inside.

Yuri continued to fire one water blast after another, sending more quakes that only confirmed Goku's suspicions. _"Yeah, someone is definitely here, causing trouble."_ He thought, frowning as he tried to sense the energy of the troublemakers that are in the cave. He sensed two power levels and they felt familiar. He recognized those energy signals moments later. _"Don't tell me it's…"_

As he was about to finish his thought, the ground beneath Lucia collapsed. She screamed as she was starting to fall down in a deep cave opening.

"LUCIA!" Goku shouted, immediately jumping down after her. He was slowly catching up with her as they were falling down at fast speed. He gritted his teeth as he had to catch her fast, before she falls down to her death.

Lucia was scared to the core as she was falling down, screaming along the way. Who knows what will await her at the bottom. Either a solid stone or sea water.

"Lucia! Grab my hand!" Goku called out for her, extending his arm. Lucia did not hesitate as she tried to grab hold of him. After a few seconds, she grabbed his hand. He immediately pulled her towards him, holding her tightly. She hugged him in fear of her life tightly around his neck. He didn't notice the bottom yet, but he didn't want to risk it as he pulled out his power pole and faced it horizontally.

"Power Pole extend!" He shouted, making the staff grow longer and impaled between the two stone walls. The two of them hanged for a while before Goku pulled himself up with one hand, sitting on the staff with Lucia sitting on his lap, still hugging him tightly. Goku blushed red a bit by her hug now that he calmed down.

"Umm, Lucia, are you okay?" He asked shyly. Her hug felt great, but this was not the time and place to think about such things. Lucia pulled away from the hug now that she too settled down. She really liked being in Goku's embrace, but as she looked down, her blush disappeared and her face went blue. She looked at Goku, who had that goofy, blank expression on his face.

"Goku, you saved me again. Thank you." She hugged his chest tightly, crying and sobbing after being spared of tragic death. She was so afraid that it felt like her heart was about to jump through her chest. Goku blushed red again, but they really need to get back up there before the opening seals on them and crush them.

"Hey hey, it's okay. Please calm down, we are not in the clear yet." He said in a gentle tone, smiling as he rubbed her back to soothe her sobs. Lucia sniffed a bit before she composed herself, pulling away from the hug, but still sitting on his lap, so she wouldn't fall down further into the pit. She knew he was right, they had to return back to the surface and then they will have all the time in the world for being emotional. Goku was thinking on how to get back up. The walls were too far away, so he can't do a wall jump. He then thought about flying, but he didn't completely master it and they had to move fast. Then an idea popped in his head.

"I know. Lucia, I need you to hold onto me from my back. I think I know how to get back up quickly." He instructed. Lucia tilted her head in confusion, but she did as he instructed her. She hugged him tightly from behind around his neck. He stood up and balanced himself to the one side of the stone wall. He grabbed onto a stone crack to hang onto before he sheathed his power pole. He then jumped high in the air, cupping his hands in front of him as he was charging up his devastating technique to blast himself up.

"Kaaa… Meee… Haaa… Meee… " He gathered enough power to blast them in the air without destroying the entire cave in the process. His hands were shining white and blue, ready to be fired.

"HAAAAAA!" He fired the wave, rocketing all the way up from where they came from. But as he fired the blast, the opening started to close around them. Goku gritted his teeth as he poured more energy into the attack, so they would go faster. Out of a corner of his eye, he saw a hole up above. He canceled the wave and grabbed onto the ledge, pulling himself up quickly as the opening completely closed. He kneeled down to compose himself a few seconds before he stood up.

"Phew, that was too close for comfort." He said, rubbing his forehead. He then turned his attention to Lucia, who was still holding onto him tightly with her eyes closed. "It's okay now Lucia, we are safe."

Lucia slowly opened her eyes and loosened her grip on Goku. She fell down on her butt, sighing deeply in relief that it was over. She then looked at him, who had a toothy grin on his face, making her heart flutter. She smiled and blushed pink, he looks so cute every time he makes that expression. He extended his hand for Lucia to grab onto, so she could get up. He pulled her up on her feet.

"Now what do you say we get out of here before…" As Goku was about to finish his sentence, someone was singing from the distance, her voice filled with malice. Goku and Lucia frowned as they were both aware of who it was.

" _Is that… a water demon?_ " Lucia thought, her face turned serious at the threat.

" **Sleep, little human**." Yuri said, her eyes glowing as she channeled a spell to put Goku to slumber. Although it didn't affect Lucia at all, Goku started to get a little sleepy, rubbing his right eye.

"Why am i… so sleepy… right now?" he said in a low voice, falling down on his knees, trying to stay awake. As he was about to sit down, he sat on a very sharp rock.

"OOOOWWW!" He jumped up immediately, almost smashing onto the ceiling, rubbing his butt for pain to subside.

"Ouch, that hurt." He whined childishly as he winced at the slight pain, his right eye closed. Lucia couldn't help but giggle, despite the imminent threat that was nearby.

"Hey, that wasn't funny." Goku whined childishly, making Lucia laugh a little.

"I'm sorry, Goku, I won't laugh anymore." Lucia laughed before she calmed down. Goku couldn't help but smile. She looks really cute when she laughs like that. But then he frowned moments later as he had to focus on the Dark Lovers that appeared.

"Listen, I need you to go and find a way out. It's too dangerous to be here now." He glanced at Lucia before he made his way to confront the water demons. But Lucia was determined to help him this time. He grabbed his arm to stop him.

"No Goku, I'm coming with you." Lucia frowned. She will not hide or run this time. She will help Goku deal with those water demons. But it will be a lot more difficult in her human form, though seeing Goku in action, she knew he can easily handle them.

"But Lucia, you could get hurt." He tried to send her away to safety so he can fight alone, but Lucia will not back down.

"I don't care. I'm coming with you. Even if you don't let me come, I'll still follow you." She protested. Goku knew there was no getting around this situation. She was determined to see this through and nothing he will say will change her mind. He sighed slightly before he smiled. He was glad that she was brave, but he was still concerned for her wellbeing.

"Alright, you can come." He said in a gentle voice. Then Goku frowned. "But I want you to promise me that if anything goes wrong, you will get out of there, okay?" he said in a serious tone, but out of concern.

Lucia smiled. "I promise." She said. Then the two of them went to face the water demons.

Meanwhile, Hippo finally woke up after being knocked unconscious from the impact of the fall. He found himself in a strange chamber.

"Ahh man, where am i?" he rubbed his head as he was getting up on his feet. "Have I got lost?" Soon after, he felt a quake coming from the other side of the large sealed door. Unknown to Hippo, Eril and Yuri were from the other side, trying to breach in and take the ring, but to no avail.

"Damn it. This is where the ring should be, but this door can't be breached." Yuri said angrily, having a tick mark on her head.

"How do you propose we get in if we can't destroy the doors?" Eril narrowed her eyes at Yuri in a mocking manner.

"Well, I don't see you doing anything to help out!" Yuri shouted, starting an argument between the two. As they were fighting each other, Goku and Lucia arrived at the chamber where there was a large door and in front of it, Eril and Yuri. The two of them frowned.

" _It's those two again. What are they up to now?"_ He thought with an annoyed tone. He glanced to Lucia before he returned his attention to the Dark Lovers. _"It doesn't matter. I need to defeat them before they harm Lucia."_ He clenched his fists, ready to charge at them.

" _What am I going to do? I can't transform in front of Goku, not without turning myself into sea foam."_ Lucia thought, sweating a bit from her forehead. She really wished she could just transform and defeat the water demons.

As Goku was about to charge in, two stone guardians that were perched near the doors came to life, shocking all four of them.

" **Intruders**." Said one guardian in a dark and low-pitched voice, its eyes glowing red. Then they fired beams from their eyes, with Eril and Yuri narrowly dodging them. Yuri quickly pulled out The Mermaid's Urn she brought along in hopes of absorbing the mermaid's songs, but those automatons were a lot more troublesome. The guardians fired the beams, but the urn absorbed their power. But to Yuri's shock, the guardians continued to fire their beams, overflowing the urn and making it explode with a bang. Then with that deed done, the guardians vanished. They were surprisingly fast as they charged at Eril and Yuri, catching them completely off guard, smashing them against the wall, knocking them out. Then as soon as they disappeared, the guardians reappeared in front of the doors.

" **Leave. Or die.** " The two guardians said simultaneously, their eyes glowing red, their low-pitched voices full of threat. Lucia hid behind Goku, shivering out of fear of those terrifying constructs. Goku merely smirked. He had finally found a decent challenge to test out his fighting abilities.

"Listen Lucia, I need you to get back and hide. These guys are a lot stronger and faster than they appear." Goku said in a commanding tone, having a battle-ready smirk.

"No. I told you that I will help you." She pleaded, not wanting to back down, though still shivering from their ominous presence. Sighing slightly, Goku turned around to face Lucia, placing his hands on her shoulders, making her blush pink a bit.

"I know, but they are a lot more powerful than you. I'll be much better off if I fight them alone, without having to worry about your safety." He said in a serious tone, but without a hint of malice. He was merely concerned for her and she understood that.

"Okay." Lucia said reluctantly. She had no choice. It was either being beaten by the guardians and worry Goku to death or just back down and let Goku handle it. He stepped forward to face the guardians, with the two automatons immediately taking their fighting positions, with Goku following suit.

But suddenly, Hanon and Rina appeared.

"Lucia!" the two mermaids called out to them.

"Hanon. Rina." Lucia smiled brightly, glad to see them both.

"Are you alright?" Hanon asked.

"What happened?" Rina asked.

"I'm fine, Goku came to rescue me and he is now fighting those two scary statues." Lucia pointed at them. Hanon and Rina frowned, worried that Goku could get hurt.

"I guess the old man didn't mention about two guardians protecting the ring." Rina growled.

"It doesn't matter, let's go and help him." Hanon suggested, with Rina nodding in response.

"No, stay back!" Goku exclaimed, not averting his gaze from the guardians. Hanon and Rina stopped in their tracks. Moments later, the constructs charged at fast speed. Their punches and kicks were powerful and Goku could barely block them all. Then moments later, Goku made some distance before he disappeared like a blur. The guardians did the same, with the three of them jumping around the chamber, with one side trying to overpower the other. The mermaids could only hear stony punches and kicks, along with Goku's and they only appeared like a grey and orange blurs. This was something they have never seen before in their life. They were so incredibly fast, they could barely keep up with their movements. Then one of the guardians reappeared right in front of Goku, punching him in the jaw, sending him flying upwards. The other guardian slammed his folded arms onto Goku's back, sending him spiraling down on the ground, causing a large crater. Lucia's heart stopped a few beats as she saw him being slammed down on the ground hard.

"Goku!" Lucia screamed, placing her hands on her mouth in utter shock, with tears starting to form in her eyes. She felt a surge of immense pain in her chest every time Goku receives a punch or kick. Rina and Hanon gritted their teeth at the realization that those constructs would pulverize them if they were to help him.

As for Goku, he didn't have a scratch on him, much to the mermaid's relief, especially Lucia. Goku merely snickered confidently, wiping the blood from his lips.

" _Amazing. Even though they are made of stone, they are not only strong, but fast too."_ Goku thought, smirking as his blood boiled for a good fight. _"Guess I'll have to turn things up a notch or two."_

Goku charged at the constructs, but they immediately jumped in the air to the ceiling before they bounced right at Goku. He folded his arms in defense as the two guardians collided their fists with Goku. Then they sent a flurry of punches and kicks again, only this time Goku was ready. He caught a fist from one guardian, his right fist colliding with the construct's face and shattering it in the process. Then he spinned and kneed the other guardian, sending it flying to the wall.

The mermaids cheered Goku on, but he didn't drop his guard just yet. This wasn't over, not yet.

"Alright Goku!" Lucia cheered.

"Show them what you got!" Hanon also cheered. Rina merely smiled and gave him a nod. Though the mermaids were still dumbfounded on how they can move so fast like a blur or for their strikes to be so powerful, they still hoped that Goku will win and get back to the surface safe and sound.

But the guardians were not destroyed yet. Much to Goku's surprise, there wasn't a crack on them. Both of them were perfectly intact, it's as if they were never harmed.

"What? How did they heal over from that attack? That's impossible." Goku frowned, gritting his teeth. This is the first time he encountered a stone construct with regeneration. The guardians' eyes glowed as they were about to blast him. As they fired their beams, he was jumping around the room, bouncing from one wall to another, from ceiling to the ground, thinking on how to counter that attack. One of the beams accidentally struck the ceiling above the mermaids, collapsing on them.

"Lucia!" He exclaimed, but he was struck by the beams and pinned on the wall. The guardian's combined might immobilized Goku for a few seconds, but he managed to cross his arms in a split second before he was hit. He gritted his teeth as he tried to push the beam back. It was a stalemate for a while until the constructs increased their power and their beams increased in size and strength. Goku began to lose ground as the beam slowly started to overpower him, causing a large explosion that nearly collapsed the entire chamber.

Lucia gasped in complete shock and fear. Tears flowed from her eyes as she held her beating heart. "Gokuuuu!" Lucia screamed, her eyes wide and mouth open in shock. Hanon and Rina are also shocked. They have never seen this kind of fight before. Goku wasn't coming out of the smoke for a while. Lucia started to cry and sob on Hanon's chest as she thought the worst had happened.

" _No. Please no, he can't be… gone."_ Lucia thought sadly, crying loudly. But Rina noticed someone in smoke, still standing.

"Lucia!" Rina exclaimed as she pointed at the broken wall. "Look, Goku is still alive." Rina smiled. Lucia pulled away, sniffing a bit, tears staining her face, to see that it was Goku, alive and well. His wrist bands were disintegrated and his arms were burned a bit, but he was okay. Lucia wiped the tears from her face and smiled brightly.

"Wow, I'm truly impressed. Goku is a lot tougher than I thought." Hanon smiled, relieved that Goku was not dead. If he was, then Lucia would have been destroyed emotionally and that is a scenario she couldn't bear.

"Thank goodness." Lucia said gently, sighing in relief and smiling while cupping her hands in amazement.

Goku lowered his hands down. His shirt was fried as well, leaving him with only torn out undershirt.

"Ouch ouch, that's hot, veeery hot!" He blowed on his hands to cool them off. He was surprised that those constructs packed that much of a punch. As soon as he was done, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he was ready to fight seriously now.

" _Ok, this is starting to get way out of hand. I need to finish this fight before they bring down the whole cave on our heads."_ He thought seriously, raising his energy for a finishing blow.

"Time to end this." He cupped his hands in front of him, charging up his energy for the attack. "Kaaa… Meee… Haaa… Meee…" He charged his energy for the Kamehameha Wave, but as he was about to unleash his attack….

"No Goku, wait! Don't do it!" Rina called out for him, extending her arm as a warning, realizing the potency of that attack. Goku raised his eyebrow in confusion as he turned his attention to Rina, cancelling the energy wave. Lucia and Hanon were also confused.

"If you use that attack in here, then you will tear the entire cave apart and bury us all alive." Rina warned. Goku gritted his teeth. He knew she was right. If he had used his Kamehameha Wave in the caverns, he will not only destroy the constructs, but will cause the entire cave to collapse on their heads.

"Fine." Then Goku smirked. "Then I guess its hammer time." He clenched his fists and was ready to charge at the guardians and finish this fight. He can't protect Lucia, Hanon and Rina forever and he had to destroy them fast.

"HAAAAAA!" He shouted, charging at them at maximum speed. One of the guardians was about to punch Goku, but he immediately jumped in the air and bounced off the wall, sending a kick that shattered the statue in tiny pebbles. Now it was the time to finish off the other. The automaton tried to punch Goku, but he sent a fist of his own, colliding with the stony fist. But a moment later, it shattered and gave Goku the opening to finish it off. He cupped his hands and slammed the guardian hard on the head, shattering it and the rest of its body in the process. Lucia and Hanon cheered Goku on, while Rina merely smiled. They were so happy that everything turned out okay.

But as they were completely destroyed, Goku noticed two strange crystals that were emanating from the statue's remains.

" _Strange, those gems emanate an impressive amount of energy."_ He thought as he picked one up. _"I take it this must be the source of their power."_ He then glanced at the crystal behind him who started to glow, along with the one he had in his hand. He noticed that the stone pebbles were merging together and starting to form a humanoid body. He frowned as he realized that this gem was the reason why they healed over. He immediately crushed the one he had in his hand and reached for the other one just in time. He crushed the second crystal and stones started to fall down on the ground. Goku sighed in relief as he realized that it was over.

The mermaids rushed towards Goku now that the fight was over. Lucia hugged him tightly, making him blush red a bit as he looked at her with blank expression.

"Umm, are you okay Lucia?" He asked. Lucia had a lot of things to say to him, but at this point, all she cared about was that he was alive and well. She merely smiled as she wiped a few tears that started to form in her eyes again.

"Yes Goku. I'm just glad you are okay." Lucia said. Goku smiled back. Hanon and Rina were glad that Lucia is making progress with that goofball. Moments later, the seal has been broken from the doors and then they opened.

"Look, the chamber is opening." Hanon said. Lucia smiled brightly. The ring must be inside.

"Let's go!" Lucia ran inside to finally make her wish. Goku, Hanon and Rina followed soon after. But to their complete surprise, they found Hippo, who was gorging on a large pile of chocolate cake slices.

"Hippo, how did you get in here?" Lucia asked, her eyes wide as she couldn't believe Hippo fell down all the way to this very chamber.

"I'm not really sure. After I fell down through the hole, I found myself in this chamber. Then I found this ring that was on the pedestal. But it disappeared as soon as I thought about eating a cake and then all of these delicious chocolate cake slices appeared out of nowhere." He said as he gorged on those slices.

" _That penguin can talk?"_ Goku thought casually, though it was nothing out of the ordinary for him, as he faced several opponents who were talking animals. Heck, he even met King Furry, who was the King of the Earth and he was a dog.

Rina face-palmed, while Hanon shook her head. Lucia's face went blue from Hippo's utter stupidity. Any wish in the world and he wished for cake?! Lucia was so furious at the moment, she could tear Hippo apart. All the troubles they went through for nothing, her chance for getting her wish gone.

But as for Goku, he only drooled as he had on his sights a cake he can eat. "Alright, it's time to eat!" He darted to gorge on chocolate cakes. All of the anger and frustration disappeared from Lucia's mind as she watched Goku eat without a care in the world. She merely smiled as she watched that goof eat one slice of cake after another, much to Hippo's frustration, who he had to eat fast so he can be full. Rina and Hanon smiled as well, glad that it was all over and they can finally get back to the others.

All five of them exited the cave at last and made their way back to Taro Mitsuki and the other classmates. Lucia smiled as she glanced at Goku, who had that smile that always made her heart flutter.

" _Well, I may not have my wish, but in a way, it was granted. Goku and I are close to each other."_ She thought. Goku glanced at her, who was watching him for some reason. Her happy face made him smile as she glanced back in the direction he was heading. This day turned out great for Goku. He had a good fight and he got to hang out with Lucia again.

The rest of the day went by with no incidents. They all had a great time and then they went back to the mainland, with everyone going to their homes, resting after a day of yet another adventure.

* * *

Two days later, Lucia was sitting on the rock at the beach away from the city, watching Goku train. It was simply incredible of how powerful Goku had become after all these years. Little did she know that Goku fought with about thirty percent of his full power after he realized that the fight needed to be finished as quickly as possible. She watched him as he was punching and kicking furiously, performing acrobatics and improving his fighting skills.

Moments later, Hanon and Hippo arrived as well.

"Very soon, July will finally come. Goku seems pumped up." Lucia smiled.

"Well, I guess that's what he loves to do, to train until he passes out." Hanon joked, making them giggle. She had to admit, even though she loves Taro, Goku was quite a hunk with those muscles, besides being a good looker, and seeing him train so vigorously makes her feel somewhat attracted to him. But she suppressed those feelings as she knew that Lucia has her eye on that goofball and she doesn't want to backstab her if she made a move on him by any chance.

"Miss. Lucia, if I remember, your birthday is in July, am I right?" Hippo asked. Lucia stood up to face Hanon and Hippo.

"Yes. On third of July, Lucia Nanami will be 14 years old. I can't wait." She smiled brightly, giving them a two finger sign.

"Then I suppose you already had a rite of adulthood." Hanon said.

"Huh? Rite of adulthood?" Lucia asked curiously.

"The mermaids are considered as adults from the age of 13. You should know this by now, Miss. Lucia." Hippo reminded. Then Lucia remembered about that.

"Well, I never had those rites because i lost my pearl back then." She said, turning her attention back to Goku. She never knew that she could be an adult from the age of 13, but due to giving Goku the pearl all those years ago to save him, the rite never happened.

"You never had the rite of adulthood yet?" Hanon said, slightly shocked. Lucia merely nodded. "Too bad. If you had, then the love forbiddance would have been abolished." Lucia raised her eyebrow in interest.

"The love forbiddance?" Hanon glanced at Hanon.

"Yes. Then you would be able to do whatever you want. You know, a little bit of this and a little bit of that." Hanon smiled, closing her eyes and started to daydream about her and Taro standing on the beach, with the sun setting on the horizon. Then the two of them hugged before they kissed on the lips. Hanon's face went completely red at the thought, blushing immensely and placing her hands on her face, squealing joyfully.

"So, I suppose you already had your ceremony?" Lucia smiled.

"Of course." She said, quickly composing herself. "I wore a splendid dress, we had ton of food and everyone… Oops!" She suddenly shut her mouth with her hands at the mention of food. She glanced at Goku, knowing she made a mistake when she mentioned a lot of food in front of him, but fortunately he was too focused on his training to hear her.

Lucia glanced at Goku and back to Hanon in confusion. She shrugged, deciding not to ponder on it. But judging by Hanon's description, it doesn't look like its anything complicated.

"Wow that sounds great." Lucia smiled, can't wait to get it done.

Then Hanon smiled. "And as an adult mermaid, I can teach you everything you need to know about a little bit of this and a little bit of that." Hanon giggled. Though Lucia didn't understand the meaning of those words, she merely smiled as she glanced back at Goku, who is now performing aerial punches and kicks.

" _I see. If I undergo those rites, then the love forbiddance will be removed_." She thought, having an imagination of her own. It was about the same as Hanon, only it's her and Goku instead of Hanon and Taro.

" _Goku, my love."_ She looked at him lovingly before they started to get close to each other. But then a large Hippo appeared between them, breaking her from her daydreaming.

"Hippo, you are so rude for breaking my thoughts." Lucia frowned, pouting as her dream bubble popped thanks to Hippo.

"It was perfectly clear on what you are imagining. The ban still counts for humans, Lucia." Hippo reminded.

"Yeah, I know, I know." Lucia said, staring sadly on the ground. She knew that without those rites, she won't be able to do a thing romantically with Goku, other than daydream about it. Hanon looked at her, feeling a little sorry that she can't get close emotionally with Goku with that ban in force. But then a brilliant idea popped in her head, but she kept it as a secret from Lucia, wanting to surprise her tomorrow.

* * *

The next day, Hanon and Rina went to school earlier by Hanon's request, so she could explain to Rina her plan.

"I see. Lucia's birthday will come soon." Rina said.

"You know, I was thinking about making a birthday party for her, since she didn't had a rite of adulthood. What do you think?" Hanon smiled.

"Sounds good. We won't have a chance like this again, so we might as well do our best." Rina added. Hanon was slightly confused by her statement.

"What do you mean?" Hanon asked.

"The sea has become a dangerous place, where all kinds of things happen and trouble can come up at any time." Rina added.

"I guess you are right." Hanon agreed.

"You know, let's make a birthday party for Lucia the likes she will never forget while we still can." Rina smiled.

"Alright, then I will go and talk with Goku." Hanon added.

"That's a brilliant idea. Lucia will be overjoyed if he is there too." Rina said. Though it's true that he will be there, Hanon had something completely different in her mind. She and Rina made their way to the classroom and found Goku chatting with Daichi, Kengo and Oyonuki.

"Hi Goku." Hanon smiled, placing her hands on Goku's desk to lean on.

"Hey Hanon, what's up?" Goku smiled with a toothy grin.

"Nothing much. Listen, Lucia's birthday will come in a few days and I was wondering if you can make the birthday party for her." Hanon explained, smiling. Goku tilted his head in confusion, looking up at the ceiling.

"Make a birthday party for Lucia?" he asked. Hanon nodded in confirmation. Though Goku really liked the idea of making a birthday party for Lucia, knowing it will make her happy and mostly because there will be a lot of food there, he didn't know where to begin with.

"Well sure, but I don't know where to start getting all the stuff for the party." He looked at Hanon blankly.

"Don't worry Goku, we will help you organize the whole thing." Kengo added.

"Yeah, we didn't plan anything big recently anyway." Daichi said.

"Let's go!" Daichi, Kengo and Oyonuki supported Goku. He merely smiled at them before turning his attention to Hanon.

"Alright, then I guess it's settled." He smiled.

"Wonderful, Lucia will be so happy." Hanon smiled. She then noticed Lucia entering the classroom.

"Hanon, why didn't you leave without me? I was waiting for you and now I'm late." Lucia frowned. But Hanon said nothing as she merely smirked, making Lucia raise her eyebrow in slight confusion.

"What's with that creepy smirk?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Goku is making a birthday party for you, that's why I came earlier." Hanon said.

"What, seriously?" Lucia was shocked and surprised completely. Goku is doing what now? She turned her attention to Goku, who was smiling brightly with a toothy grin, snickering by her funny expression.

"Hi. Surprised?" He asked cheerfully. Lucia blushed pink, her heart filled with immeasurable joy. Goku is actually making a birthday party for her. She was so happy she could scream right now.

* * *

The classes went by excruciatingly slow for Lucia as she daydreamed most of the time and couldn't wait to get back home. As for Goku, after the classes were over, along with his friends, he went to the beach to formulate a plan of Lucia's party. They were all sitting in circle as the sun began to set on the horizon. Goku was lying down with his hands behind his head, pondering on what to do to set everything up for her party.

"Alright guys, let's try to make this party the one she will never forget." Then Goku got up with his legs crossed, placing his hands on his knees for support. "I know, we should bring a whole lot of food, that's a great plan, right?" Goku asked cheerfully. Daichi, Kengo and Oyonuki sweat-dropped by his blunt statement.

"Goku, this is Lucia's party, not yours. If it was, we would need to bring a truck full of food." Daichi joked. All four of them laughed light-heartedly. Soon they all composed themselves.

"Now seriously, how are we going to plan this, any suggestions?" Goku smiled.

"Well we could make the party like the ones we have among the surfers." Kengo said.

"And that means we need to rent a house near the beach. We still have the installments from the last party we made, but as for the birthday present, we will leave that to you, Goku." Daichi said, with Oyonuki and Kengo nodding in agreement.

"Hmm." Goku rubbed his chin as he lied down again, looking at the sky, pondering on what birthday present would be suitable for Lucia. He never bought a birthday present before, especially not for a girl. After everything was planned, the boys went back home.

Meanwhile, Lucia was sitting on her chair, leaning her head on her hands, her face paralyzed in wide smile and red blush as she couldn't stop thinking of what has Goku got in store for her at her birthday party. Hanon and Hippo sat in the bed next to her, being increasingly worried for Lucia, fearing that she will go too far if she keeps this up.

"Hanon, this is bad. If she goes on like this, she will admit everything to Goku." Hippo glanced at Hanon.

"Yes, you are right." Hanon agreed. She knew that she would be so happy that Goku is throwing a party for her, but now she is worried as Lucia took her idea to a whole new level.

"Come on Lucia, snap out of it." Hanon pleaded, but no answer. Lucia didn't even budge. She was completely absorbed into her thoughts about the upcoming party that her Goku is organizing. Now Hippo is starting to get really frustrated by her behavior.

"Earth to Lucia!" Hippo shouted at the top of his lungs, finally snapping Lucia from her thoughts.

"Oh, you were saying something Hippo?" Lucia asked with blank expression.

"If you keep going like this, then you will get into trouble!" Hippo shouted again, startling Lucia a bit, even Hanon. But she quickly dismissed his notion as she smiled brightly. She still couldn't believe that Goku is the organizer of all this.

"Why not? I mean, Goku is making a birthday party for me." Lucia smiled.

"Yes, but I asked him to do it. That goofball didn't even know when your birthday was." Hanon explained. But this didn't trouble Lucia at all as her joy was even more amplified.

"Thank you Hanon." Lucia said, surprising Hanon. "That is the sweetest thing you have ever done for me, I am so happy. Veery Happy!" Lucia jumped up happily, her eyes sparkling and blushing pink as she had completely lost herself in her limitless joy, only making Hanon even more worried.

"Great, now she lost it." Hanon sweat-dropped as she watched Lucia spinning around like a ballerina. Hanon and Hippo could only hope that Lucia won't do anything stupid, because at this point, there is absolutely nothing they can do to bring her down to earth from the clouds she found herself in. They both left her alone in her room, going to bed for yet another day.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep beneath the sea, Gaito summoned three of the Dark Lovers in his throne room to decide will he cast them aside or give them a chance to prove themselves.

"I wonder why none of you were capable of capturing the mermaid princesses so far. Worse, you couldn't even handle a human." Gaito frowned. Their constant failures are seriously leaving its toll on his tolerance and patience. Yuri and Izure bowed their heads in shame, but as for Eril, she stepped forward to speak.

"Well, my master, the truth is that these two are just slowing me down. It's very irritating." Eril came up with an excuse, but it only irritated Yuri and Izure that she could make such a stupid statement.

"No, you are the one who is always in the way." Izure retorted.

"That's right, you with your ineffective strategies." Yuri retorted as well. Eril turned around, her eyes glowing red, taking in her malicious personality now.

"What? Say that again, if you dare." Eril threatened. But the two of them were not intimidated in the slightest, she was already proven a failure. Then Maria appeared from behind Gaito's throne to settle him down, bringing him interesting news.

"Master Gaito, it would seem that something significant is happening in North Pacific." Maria said. Gaito raised his eyebrow in interest.

"Well, that's where I last saw the mermaid princesses." Yuri said.

"I wonder what they are up to." Izure said.

"Master Gaito, allow me to investigate." Eril insisted as she immediately turned around and went on her way. "As for you two, stay out of my way."

"Pff, gladly. You will fail anyway." Yuri puffed, knowing that Eril's plan was destined for failure, knowing her intellect.

"Yuri, you will go with Eril and assist her." Gaito ordered. But Yuri was shocked, infuriated to say the least.

"What?! To help Eril? Please master, don't." Yuri whined. It's bad enough that her reputation has been sullied by those mermaids and that human, and now assisting Eril has turned out to be a bigger headache.

Izure merely smirked. "Good, two half-baked water demons and only one left." She stated bluntly, making Yuri even angrier.

"I dare you to say that again." Yuri threatened, but Izure wasn't scared.

"I'm just stating the obvious." Izure mocked, but it only ended with Yuri and Izure glaring daggers to each other. But Gaito didn't' plan on leaving out Izure.

"Izure, you will go as well." Gaito ordered. Now Izure cursed herself for not keeping her mouth shut, otherwise she wouldn't be in this predicament right now.

"But please master, I can handle this myself." Izure pleaded, but to no avail. Maria decided to intervene.

"Now now, Gaito was not asking, you know." Maria reminded, with Izure and Yuri gulping in fear, leaving no choice but to proceed with this pointless mission.

"Your wish is my command." Yuri and Izure said at the same time before departing to aid Eril. Gaito merely smiled. With the three of them in action, they might actually succeed.

* * *

The next day, Goku, Daichi, Kengo and Oyonuki were preparing everything they needed for the party at the rented house near the beach. As for Goku, the present that he planned to give her was a uniform similar to his, but her size. The shirt and pants were pink with no turtle emblems, but undershirt, boots, wristbands and sash were blue. The undershirt, boots and wristbands had no weight, so Lucia could walk around in them no problem. He could have added some weight on them, but considering that Lucia is not a fighter, he removed the weights instead.

"So Goku, do you think she will like the present?" Daichi asked, bringing in the decorations for the party.

"Well, I think so. She may not be a fighter, but I think she will like to wear it once in a while." Goku smiled.

"Do you plan to add some design on it?" Oyonuki asked.

"Design? Like a picture or something?" Goku asked with a blank expression on his face. Oyonuki nodded. "Gosh, I never thought about it. Any ideas?"

"Well, she is a girl, right? So skulls…" Kengo said.

"And bones." Daichi joked. All four of them laughed out loud, composing themselves after a few moments. Then Goku pondered on what exactly to put on her uniform.

" _Hmm, I wonder what Lucia would really like?"_ he thought.

Meanwhile, Hippo was sent by Nicole to pick up the groceries. He went back in the hurry, sweating profusely as he carried four bags in his hands and a large bag strapped to his back.

"That Nicole really likes to treat penguins like slaves." He whined with an irritated tone. But then he heard a squeaking noise coming from the water. It was Momo who delivered a message for Lucia. Hippo put down the bags and picked it up. Then Momo departed and Hippo returned to the hotel, bearing the new that will most certainly surprise Lucia.

At the same time, after Hippo arrived back home, Lucia was immensely excited as she couldn't wait to see what is in store for her at her birthday party. She couldn't stop giggling and laughing that Goku had actually made all of the arrangements to make her party unforgettable.

"Hanon, can you believe that Goku actually rented a house near the beach for my birthday party. I simply can't wait to see what kind of party Goku had thrown for me. I'm so excited!" Lucia cheered, barely containing the amount of joy she is experiencing right now. All this excitement made Hanon somewhat jealous of her, but in a friendly way.

"Stop it Lucia, I'm starting to envy you. Maybe I will call Taro for the party." Hanon smiled. She hoped that Taro will make something like this for her when her birthday comes, it would made her so happy. Then Hippo knocked on the door, bearing the news that Momo delivered.

"Miss Lucia, I brought a letter from your kingdom in North Pacific." Hippo said, holding a letter in his hand. Lucia was surprised that they would send a letter in this time.

"It looks like your rite of adulthood will be held after all. Aren't those splendid news? We can finally return to your castle." Hippo smiled, joyful that they will finally return. But Lucia was not so optimistic.

"When?" Lucia asked, genuinely surprised. This confused Hippo a bit.

"What do you mean 'when'? It will be held on your day of 14th birthday." Hippo said, slightly annoyed but her blunt question.

"No, I can't!" Lucia exclaimed, now starting to panic. She couldn't believe this is happening right now. She understood that she will have to attend the rite of adulthood, but now that Goku is making a party for her, she can't go. She simply couldn't, she wants to spend time with Goku at her birthday party more than anything. Lucia and Hanon went to Nicole to explain the situation, hoping that they will get her support.

"See? All of our friends from school are planning this party for her." Hanon explained.

"Please, can you ask them to delay that ritual until after my birthday? It would mean so much to me." Lucia pleaded with all her heart, but Nicole didn't even budge. She was in fact utterly disappointed. Is it possible that the human world affected her so much that she is starting to neglect her duties as a mermaid princess?

"Lucia!" Nicole interrupted in a strict tone. "I mean, princess." She pointed out, shocking Lucia a bit. She would never call her by her title unless it was something serious.

"It is time to leave that human world behind." Nicole said strictly, getting up from her seat. "You have now found your pearl and our enemies are getting closer by the day. Everyone in your kingdom has given their all to prepare this ceremony for you. You need to know everything about the crisis that has struck the sea world." She was walking a few feet forward, before she turned her gaze to Lucia. "And all of this has been done, so you can be more aware of your role as a mermaid princess." Lucia looked at her sadly, staying silent as there was really nothing she could say to change her mind.

"This ceremony and the party your friends are organizing are two completely different things." Nicole frowned. Lucia bowed her head sadly, almost on the verge to cry. Nicole was right, she is a mermaid princess and there was nothing she could do about it. But still, the thought of missing out her party with Goku was painful to say the least. She desired to be by his side with all her heart and it would have been a perfect opportunity to form an even stronger bond with him. But unfortunately, she will have to break the news to Goku, though with heavy heart.

Seeing Lucia so sad made Hanon sad as well. She really cared for Lucia and she would have also liked that Lucia would get even closer with Goku at the party, but Nicole made a valid point and there was no getting around it. Seeing there was nothing she could say, she decided to take Lucia to her room.

"Lucia, let's go." Hanon said gently. Lucia merely followed her, but was stopped by Nicole.

"Princess, there is a possibility that you may never return once you arrive at the castle. Keep that in mind all the time." Nicole said. She didn't mean to be so strict with Lucia. She wanted for her to have fun and hang around with her friends, but she couldn't allow Lucia to neglect her duties. Her kingdom needs her more than ever now that Gaito is at large. He already sieged two kingdoms and Lucia's might be his next target.

These news shocked Lucia to the core. " _What? No! Does this mean that I will never see Goku again?"_ Lucia thought desperately, simply couldn't believe that this is happening right now. Everything went perfectly until this happened. She has to go, but does that mean she will be parted from Goku forever?

She went into her room. Hanon decided to leave her alone, seeing that her spirits have been crushed by these breaking news. Lucia lied on her bed sideways. She realized she had to go if she was ever to be considered an adult and for love forbiddance to be removed. But is it all worth it? If she goes back to her kingdom, she will never again see her Goku. She recalled all of the fun times she had with him in the past. The Spring Festival, the pie eating contest, even the time where they kissed in the pool. Tears started to form in her eyes and she started to sob. She soon succumbed to her sorrow as she started to cry on the pillow. The pain was unbearable to be suppressed any longer.

* * *

A few hours later, after Lucia calmed down, she went to the rented house where her party will be to break the news to Goku. She lied that she had to see her relatives in the countryside urgently and they have to cancel the party. This made Goku also sad, but not as much as Lucia.

"I'm sorry, Goku." Lucia bowed her head sadly, staring on the ground.

"Shoot. Ah well, if you have to go and see your relatives in the countryside, then I guess you have to go." Goku frowned sadly.

"I'm truly sorry, but it's very urgent." Lucia said sadly. It took everything she had not to cry on the spot, but she suppressed those emotions for the time being, not wanting for their departure to be harder than it already is.

Goku rubbed his head, letting out a sad sigh through his nose. "Don't worry about it. But it's too bad, Daichi and the others were so excited for this party." He said, frowning sadly as he looked at the interior where the party should have been held.

Lucia looked inside and noticed a large present with her name on it among the other presents. Just looking at those presents made her heart squeeze from the inside. But she had to go, she has no choice.

Goku also felt bad. He really wanted to have a great time with all of his friends at the party, especially with Lucia. And seeing her so sad makes him wanna do anything to see her smile again. But he can't talk her out of this, since she said it was urgent.

They were both walking on the beach, not uttering a word. Goku didn't know what to say to cheer her up and Lucia was pondering on Nicole's warning, having a flashback of that moment.

" _There is a possibility that you may never return once you arrive at the castle. Keep that in mind all the time." Nicole said._

Goku had never seen her so sad before. He had to say something to cheer her up. Anything.

"Come on, don't be so sad." He smiled gently, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "We can always make the party when you come back."

Lucia stopped in her tracks. She was now wondering if she will be even missed by Goku if she was to be gone. There was only one way to find out.

"Goku." Lucia suddenly said. Goku also stopped, curious as to what she has to say. "What if…"

"What if what?" Goku asked.

"What if we never see each other again, how would you feel?" Lucia asked.

"How would I feel?" Goku tilted his head in confusion, not knowing where Lucia is going with this.

"Would you feel sad?" Lucia asked, growing more anxious to know his answer. Goku had no idea what does she mean by that. He rubbed his head, trying to think of an answer.

"Well, I don't know. Things would sure be quiet around here, that's for sure." He joked, trying to make her smile. Though he did mean it in the positive way, she was always so cheerful and carefree, making everyone laugh when they hang around. Even when they went out together, they always had a blast.

But his blunt answer had the opposite effect on Lucia, as she took his answer completely to heart, misunderstanding on what he was trying to say. Tears started to form in her eyes.

"Goku, you jerk!" Lucia shouted. Goku was now really confused. What has gotten into her all of a sudden?

"Huh?" Goku looked at her with a confused expression.

"I don't need you stupid birthday party! I hate you!" She screamed as she ran away from him in opposite direction. Now Goku was even more confused than he was moments ago.

"Lucia wait, why are you crying?!" Goku called out to her, but it was no use. "Gosh, was it something I said?" He rubbed his head, his mind now in complete chaos. He was just trying to cheer her up, why did she snap like that? This whole thing has now gone way out of hand.

" _That Goku, he doesn't understand my feelings."_ She thought sadly, running away from him. But she tripped over and she fell down face first into the sand.

" _He doesn't care about me, he wouldn't even mind if I just disappeared. Goku, you jerk! In that case, I don't care even if I don't return."_ She thought sadly. She stood up and returned to the hotel, not turning back.

* * *

The night fell and Lucia decided to take a warm bath to relax. But not even that helped her much as she was not in serious doubt about Goku's love towards her.

"I guess I was wrong about him. I thought he loved me. How could I have been so naïve?" She said with sad expression on her face. Hippo then entered the bathroom, scaring Lucia as she poured him with bath water.

"I came to inform you that we are departing to the castle tonight." Hippo said, now soaking wet.

"What? So soon?" Said Lucia, completely surprised.

"We were just informed that all the preparations for the ceremony have been completed." Hippo informed.

"But that's way too fast." Lucia complained, but Hippo was unfazed.

"Nicole told you to be ready as soon as we get a word from your kingdom and she was very serious about it, wasn't she?" Hippo warned, knowing how scary Nicole can be when she is angry.

"Yes, but…" Lucia tried to say something, but Hippo had enough of her childish attitude as he immediately got to the point.

"Listen well, Miss Lucia. As soon as you are done bathing, be ready to move. " Hippo finished, closing the doors, leaving startled Lucia alone. She wasn't ready to leave yet, at least not tonight.

" _This is going way too fast. Does this mean "Goodbye Goku"? Does this really mean that I will never see him again?"_ She thought sadly. She didn't want to leave, not without saying goodbye to all of her friends from school, including Goku. She had her chance to say goodbye, but that chance was blown because she had to play the drama queen at that moment. She cursed herself for that. She soon got out of the bath and readied herself to move out.

As Lucia prepared to return to her kingdom, near the beach where many young couples scooted near the campfires, three Dark Lovers appeared. Izure and Yuri reluctantly followed Eril, but they soon departed, not wanting to sully their reputation even further by being part of Eril's idiotic strategies. Eril resented those remarks, but ignored them as she went to the beach to discover if there are mermaids among all of those people.

Meanwhile, Goku was lying on one of the several boulders near the beach from the other side of the city, looking at the sky filled with bright stars, pondering on Lucia's strange behavior.

" _I don't get it. Why was Lucia so sad? It's not like she is going to stay with her relatives forever, right?"_ he thought. He then stood up in a sitting position. _"Something must have gone horribly wrong, but what?"_ He questioned himself, lying on the boulder again. Lucia was usually a happy person, she was never so sad like she was today. He knew that something was not right, he had the feeling that someone must have done something to make her go prior to her birthday party. But for now, all he can do is guess until he can find the answers.

At the same time, Eril was checking on every couple on the beach, scaring each and every one of them by her dreadful appearance.

"Honey, who was that?" a woman asked.

"I don't know, but I feel sorry for her. Her boyfriend must have dumped her or something." A man added.

"Yeah, she looks so scary." Woman said. Eril had heard that and it only irritated her.

" _What did you say?"_ Eril thought. She kicked the campfire, scaring the couple away, much to her amusement. But she didn't notice that a piece of lit wood burned the crates beneath a house. The fire started to spread wildly, soon after consuming the house.

"Oops, I think I overdid it a bit. I'm out of here." Eril panicked a bit, running back into the water. After she made some distance, she smiled. "On second thought, this might actually work. It might attract those mermaid princesses after all." She said.

Goku saw a faint orange light coming from his left side. After a few seconds, he realized that it was the rented house for Lucia's party that was on fire.

"Oh no!" Goku exclaimed, immediately jumping up and flying there as fast as he could. Soon after, he landed, running to the house on fire, trying to save the present that he planned to give to her. But there were already a lot of people gathered at the front, shocked by this turn of events. Goku tried to enter the house, but he was stopped by four teenagers.

"Wait, bro!" One teen exclaimed.

"It's too dangerous." The second teen said.

"Let me go! There are things inside." Goku exclaimed, trying to save the present for Lucia. But it was too late, the flames have already consumed everything from the inside out.

At the same time, Lucia, Hanon and Rina, along with Hippo, Madame Taki and Nicole had noticed a house on fire some distance from the Pearl Hotel.

"Hey, it looks like a house fire." Rina said.

"Wait, isn't that a house that Goku rented for Lucia's party?" Hanon asked. Lucia had a flashback of that large present that it was probably Goku's gift for her. She frowned as she couldn't allow this to go on.

"I'll be right back. Wait here." Lucia ran inside the water, hoping to extinguish the fires on time.

"Lucia!" Hanon and Rina exclaimed. But she was already on the move. Hanon and Rina nodded to each other before they followed her.

The three mermaids were getting near, but Eril waited for them nearby.

"So, you have finally shown up." Eril said excitedly.

"So, it was you who started the fires. Why did you do that?" Rina frowned. She hated those Dark Lovers, they are always up to no good.

"It's because I'm tired of being considered a fool." Eril stated. Soon after, Yuri and Izure appeared, rather impressed that she actually managed to lure the mermaids into the open.

"Well now, the mermaid princesses." Izure said.

"Don't tell me that you lured them out?" Yuri mocked, though Eril didn't notice.

"Well, of course. Who else would be so smart?" Eril quickly bragged to the two water demons. But her excitement was short-lived as the three mermaids immediately assumed their Idol Forms, ready to finish them off before they cause more damage.

"Okay, and how are you going to plan on stopping their singing?" Yuri frowned. If she forgot about the most crucial part of the plan, then this was all nothing but a waste of time. Eril didn't have anything planned. But it was pointless, as the mermaids already started singing. Hanon had a score to settle with Yuri for trying to rip Taro's music notes to shreds. She had the honors of singing her own song this time, The Blue Sky.

"I watch the color of sky  
it fits him rather well,  
Some feelings are awakening.  
now that i know that anything is possible."

"Eril. Any day now!" Izure growled, starting to feel an immense pain from their singing.

"The stars will guide me,  
The wind will listen to all,  
boldly across the sea,  
where the dawn is sleeping,  
All dreamily  
A warm hug that never ceases."

"I believe that happiness is  
For all of us, that everyone deserves  
Now the fate is working for us  
Flying boldly at the right time."

"Now again i remember everything  
Now i see things i haven't before  
I have the might, now i know  
I have the strength to give you a whole world."

"For my dreams are reality right now  
All my wishes have become true  
When i have you, it's easy  
I live a life sweet like from fairytale"

"And all because of you!"

"Loving power of the mermaids!" The three mermaids exclaimed simultaneously as they pointed at the water demons, signifying their finishing move. "How about an encore?" all three of the mermaids said simultaneously.

"Gosh, I hate these mermaids!" Eril growled in utter frustration.

"Eril, so you didn't had a plan after all? You are an idiot!" Izure frowned before she disappeared. This turned out to be nothing but a waste of time after all.

"I can't be in a presence of fools." Yuri said before she disappeared as well. Eril took offence from those remarks.

"Ok, now the two of you are going to get it!" Eril exclaimed, having a tick mark on her head as she disappeared as well.

After the fight was over, the mermaids reverted from their Idol Forms back to normal. Meanwhile, the firefighters managed to extinguish the flames, but it was already too late. The house was burned to the ground, along with everything inside. The mermaids surfaced to inspect if anyone was hurt before they departed.

"Thank goodness, no one was hurt." Rina sighed in relief. Lucia watched sadly at the charred remains of the house that her party was supposed to be. Everything was burned to the ground, even her present that Goku planned to give her.

"Lucia, we need to go. Everyone is waiting for us." Hanon said. Lucia nodded, then all three of them submerged, on their way to Lucia's kingdom in North Pacific.

Goku walked through the burned remains of the house. There was nothing left, everything was burned down. He kneeled as he noticed a piece of burned pink cloth with hibiscus flower on it. He should have given her the present when he had the chance, but he didn't as he planned to make the party a day earlier. But there was no use to ponder about it. He stood up and frowned as he gazed towards the horizon in the sea. Lucia was gone now and judging by her sad expression when she told him the news, she won't be coming back anytime soon.

But all he can do for now… was wait.

* * *

 **A/N. Thank you all for the support. I really appreciate all of the feedback and i promise that i will try to update the story as soon as possible. Though my work gives me less free time, rest assured that i wont stop until this story is complete :)**

 **-Vegetto Glad you like it. It wont be nearly as destructive as in DBZ, but it will still be interesting. And as you probably know, Goku doesnt know that he is a saiyan, he still considers himself a human in Dragon Ball. As for Goku being their last hope, that will come in due time :)**

 **-UltimateGundamFighter Glad you like it. There is a long way to go before we reach the tournament part, but Lucia and the others will definitely be the spectators at the World Martial Arts tournament, especially in the fight against Piccolo. Though it sounds like a good idea for Lucia to be a competitor, she is not a fighter and this mysterious girl, aka Chi Chi, will compete, but things will play out differently at that point. :)**

 **For now, all i can ask from you readers is some patience and understanding. I will try to update the story as soon as i can, because i love writing it as much as you love reading it. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

~Goku vs. Gaito~

After an entire night of swimming to the Pacific Ocean, Lucia, Hanon and Rina, along with Hippo, Nicole and Madame Taki in her clam form have finally arrived to Lucia's kingdom. Much to everyone's relief, the kingdom was perfectly intact since the day Lucia left to the surface. It was still peaceful, yet majestic realm, shining with gold and pink constructions, with an enormous castle residing at the very center of the kingdom.

"So, this must be where you live, Lucia?" Hanon smiled. She had never seen Lucia's kingdom before and she was honestly surprised at how beautiful it is.

"This place appears to be untouched." Rina frowned, a little concerned that it won't be the case any time soon.

"Home, at last." Lucia smiled, relieved that her home was not attacked after all this time. Then she had a sad expression on her face as she was troubled by one thing for this whole time: Goku. Though she was tremendously happy to see her people and her home, she always has this one question that is repeating in her mind ever since she departed: Once this ceremony is complete, will she stay there forever and say goodbye to Goku in the process?

* * *

Meanwhile, in the dark halls of Gaito's castle, Gaito caught the wind of the mermaid's plans for departure and he is mustering his strength to prepare for the attack. He chuckled evilly as he gazed at the two mermaid princesses who are confined in the isolation chamber in his throne room.

"Well now, I see that you two are alone and in need of company. Don't worry, your friends will join you soon enough." He smirked, folding his arms. Then a short alarm was sounded as a coral pool appeared in his chambers. He approached it to see the message that his agents bring. Then a servant with an evil grin is reporting her finds.

"My lord, we have discovered the whereabouts of the three mermaid princesses. It would appear that all three of them are in the water." Servant said.

"Excellent work." Gaito smiled, pleased by the news. Then he snapped his fingers, summoning all four of the Dark Lovers. "Prepare for the pearl hunting, let's go and capture all of the three mermaid princesses at once. Rise up, my Dark Lovers!" Gaito proclaimed, in a dark, yet inspiring speech that boosted his servant's morale.

"Yes, my lord!" The four Dark lovers said simultaneously. Then they were on the move to the current location of the mermaids: Lucia's kingdom, to destroy it and claim the pearls.

* * *

After the mermaids have arrived, Lucia went to her private quarters, while the others awaited her outside. As for Hippo, he was walking along the large hallway, with the realm's servants lined up to greet their princess, but they only found her guardian instead.

"Ladies, please, I know I have missed you, but there is no need for a welcoming committee." Hippo rubbed the back of his head, believing that this was all made for his arrival. But all of the servants looked at him in confusion. One of them approached him to ask about Lucia.

"Hippo, where is princess Lucia?" One servant with an upright hair asked. Hippo sweat-dropped by the sudden question, now feeling silly that he believed they all waited for him.

"Oh, Lucia, of course. How silly of me, I thought this reception was made for me." Hippo chuckled nervously before he quickly composed himself to answer her question. "Miss. Lucia entered from the other side of the entrance. But…" Hippo then stopped, making the other mermaids curious.

"But?" the servants asked.

"Hippo, did something happen to Lucia?" A servant with an upright hair said.

"Actually, something did." Hippo looked down, folding his arms.

"Please tell me. Is she excited?" A servant kneeled down, anxious to know the answer.

"Actually, it's the opposite. She is too quiet and obedient." Hippo said, with the other mermaids falling down on the floor in a comedic fashion. In all honesty, this kind of behavior was very unusual for a cheerful girl like Lucia.

"But don't worry, I'm sure she will appear soon enough." Hippo reassured the servants, but even he wasn't very certain about her strange behavior.

Meanwhile, in Lucia's quarters, the pink mermaid princess was sitting on her chair in front of the mirror without moving an inch, staring sadly. She has been like this ever since they all arrived and this was something that worried Hanon and Rina a lot as they looked at their dear friend from the entrance doors. Lucia was never so sad before. Even Nicole was a little worried about her unusual behavior.

"Lucia is not herself today. Usually it's very difficult to shut her up, but look at her. That's not the Lucia we know. She was always so cheerful and happy." Hanon looked at Nicole with a worried expression. This was definitely not the Lucia she knows and she didn't like it one bit. She wished she could do something to cheer her up, but she didn't know what.

"Well yeah, usually." Rina said. Even though she found it annoying at times, she was just as worried as Hanon about Lucia. Even to her, this was very unusual.

"Well, this is her rite of adulthood. It's probably getting difficult for her." Nicole said, believing that it was probably the reason of her sad mood.

"Yeah, let's hope that's the case." Rina said, a little doubtful of her statement. It had to be something more than that and she knows it. Nicole then entered the chambers to inform Lucia of the ritual.

"Princess, the ceremony will soon commence." Nicole smiled, trying to be optimistic and lighten Lucia's mood a bit. But Lucia merely smiled sadly while turning her gaze to Nicole.

"Okay. Please inform me when everything is prepared." Lucia said.

"I hope everything will be alright." Hanon said, hugging Rina for support, getting increasingly worried for Lucia by the minute.

"Me too, Hanon." Rina said, hugging Hanon back.

After the three mermaids have informed Lucia of the ritual, they departed to meet up with Madame Taki and Hippo to talk about Lucia's behavior.

"Miss. Nicole, how does Lucia fare?" Hippo asked.

"She is in a very bad mood, Hippo." Nicole said. Now she too was worried, as her sad emotions could go bad for the ritual.

"Hmm, that could have a negative effect on the ceremony." Hippo said, a little worried by the news.

"Well, even though we all want to see our old Lucia, I think it's for the best for the ceremony itself." Nicole smiled, now believing that Lucia was just focused on the ceremony and that it was nothing serious.

"But she should at least be in a fine mood." Hippo said. Even though he too wanted for everything to turn out as planned, he hated that Lucia is in pain and he wished that she was at least a little happy.

"Yeah, that's true. The emotions from this ceremony might cause a reaction from the goddess Aqua Regina. We want Lucia to be serious, but we don't want for her to be sad either." Nicole looked down with a worried expression.

"My thoughts exactly, her unusual level of energy might attract a powerful goddess, Aqua Regina." Hippo said. Now Nicole was more concerned.

"Yeah, that is a little concerning, now that you mentioned it." Nicole said, having chills down her spine, worried about a worst case scenario where the entire kingdom could be destroyed by the negative emotions emanating from Lucia, channeled through her pearl that has that power. But as for Madame Taki, she wasn't worried in the slightest, fully confident that everything will turn out alright.

"I wouldn't be concerned about that. Everything will be alright." Taki smiled, departing to her own quarters, leaving the others in a big surprise from her statement.

"What do you mean, Madame Taki? Wait!" Hippo followed her, along with Nicole, who was also very curious by her cool composure, leaving Hanon and Rina alone.

"I think she is still sad about that birthday party. She really wanted to be there so badly." Hanon said to Rina. She wished she could delay the ceremony after the party and make Lucia happy again, but it's too late for it now. Rina turned around to face Hanon as suddenly something popped in her mind.

"I wonder if Goku said something stupid to her that would make her upset. I know he is good, but sometimes he makes such blunt statements." Rina said.

"Of course, that must be it! It couldn't be anything else." Hanon smiled brightly, but moments later she sweat-dropped and her face went sad again. If that was truly it, Lucia won't recover anytime soon. "Oh boy. If that's the case, then she will be sad for a while."

At the same time, within Lucia's chambers, Lucia was still sitting on her chair, not moving an inch, her sad expression still on her face, her eyes closed as she remembered those words that pierced through her heart like a dagger.

" _Why Goku? Why did you say that? I might never see you again after this ritual."_ She thought sadly, having a flashback of Goku's blunt statement back at the beach.

'" _Things would sure be quiet around here, that's for sure." Goku said, rubbing his head.'_

"Goku." Lucia said, her voice filled with sorrow, almost on a verge to cry on the spot. Lucia believed that Goku said that out of spite, just so he wouldn't see her again. But she didn't know that Goku said that so he could see her smile again, because he hated when she was sad. But he didn't get to explain that as she immediately ran away after what he said. But she will never know, because they are now far away from one another, with a possibility to never reunite again.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in South City, Goku decided to go to the Pearl Hotel to find out the answers to Lucia's rather odd behavior that confused him to no end. But as he peeked through the door, he noticed that sheets covered the furniture.

"So, they left after all, huh?" Goku said to himself, a little sad that she actually left. He then went around the building to get to the beach behind it. He stared towards the horizon, contemplating on Lucia's question that was extremely off.

" _Why was she so sad? I don't understand."_ Goku thought, rubbing his head and tilting to the right, having a flashback of Lucia's question.

'" _What if we never see each other again?" Lucia asked_.'

" _She said she went to see her relatives. That means she will come back, right?"_ Goku thought. He thought she merely exaggerated her departure, but he had this strange feeling that there was something more to it. There was something she was hiding from him, but what? But a few minutes later, he decided to take his Flying Nimbus and go train. This whole thing is just making his head hurt and he needed to do something to relax himself.

* * *

At the same time, Nicole entered Lucia's chambers again.

"Lucia my dear, are you ready?" Nicole smiled gently, hoping her mood brightened a bit.

"Yes, I am." Lucia smiled sadly, turning her gaze to Nicole.

"Come on, please cheer up. Today is a big day for you." Nicole tried to comfort her, but it only worked slightly. Lucia merely nodded in response. Then three servants appeared.

"Princess Lucia, we should commence the cleansing ritual." A servant with an upright hair said.

" _Lucia. Will she truly be alright?"_ Nicole thought, getting more worried by the minute as the ceremony is drawing near.

Meanwhile, in Madame Taki's quarters, Hanon and Rina were sitting in the chairs from the other side of Taki's table, as the oracle remained confident in the success of this ritual.

"She will be alright." Taki said, making Hanon and Rina confused a bit.

"How can you be so sure, Madame Taki?" Hanon asked curiously.

"Even though she never behaved that way, she comes from a pure blooded family of mermaid princesses. When the time comes, she will fulfill our expectations." Taki explained. Hanon merely looked at Rina, trying to get a different response, but Rina stayed silent. Taki merely smiled, as confident as ever in this ceremony.

* * *

At the same time, far away from South City, Goku was training vigorously for a good while, pushing his fighting abilities beyond its limits. He was doing flips backwards, then throwing a flurry of punches and kicks in combination with acrobatic moves in midair, then landing on the ground and dashing forward, darting from one boulder after another at fast speed before landing back on the ground while flipping forward. But even with all the intense training, his mind was unfocused as he couldn't forget about Lucia's sad face, even more so the words she said that felt like being blasted by Dodon Ray straight through his heart. He even had a flashback of that scene.

" _I hate you, Goku!" Lucia shouted sadly._

After that flashback, he hurled himself onto a large boulder, kicking it and shattering it into small pebbles. He then landed on his feet, panting a bit as he tried to catch his breath. He wasn't physically tired, he could endure much more than this, but her sad and teary face and those words are keep repeating in his head, dampening his concentration. He simply couldn't put in words on why he was so troubled that he couldn't focus on his training, but he knew that he had this feeling in his heart that wouldn't go away. It felt painful, but at the same time, he had this urge to help her out in any way he could, just so he could see her smile again. He couldn't understand the emotional chaos that is now in his mind. This was really something he never experienced in his life before. He knew one thing for sure, he needed to solve this rather confusing problem before it gets any worse.

But then, a familiar squeaking was heard from the sea. Goku smiled brightly as it was a dolphin named Momo, an infant whom he and Lucia had freed from the Aqua Park.

"Hey, it's Momo!" He said cheerfully, going near the water and jumping onto a shallow rock to get close to the dolphin. "Hi Momo. It's great to see you again, how is your mother?" he asked cheerfully. This reunion brightened his mood greatly, he was so glad that little Momo was free and with his mother again. But Momo was squeaking repeatedly for some reason, trying to tell Goku something. But Goku only tilted his head in confusion, staring at him with blank expression.

"What's wrong, Momo? Did something happen?" Goku asked curiously. Momo motioned to Goku to follow him, though it took Goku a few seconds before he picked up on what he is trying to say.

"Oh, you want me to follow you? Ok." He smiled before he stood up and looked to the sky. "FLYING NIMBUS!" he called for his faithful cloud. The cloud descended from the sky in front of Goku and he jumped on it as soon as it landed.

"Alright Momo, lead the way." Goku smiled. Momo turned around and swimmed towards the open sea, with Goku following him at the dolphin's speed. The little guy was surprisingly fast for an infant.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Madame Taki's quarters, Hanon questioned Taki's confidence in Lucia's ceremony, but decided not to ask her about to it. Instead, she turned her attention to Rina.

"Maybe we can hope that Lucia's bad mood will be gone during the ceremony." Hanon said. Then Taki pulled out a large shell that looked like an ocarina and started blowing on it, playing a melody that was very familiar to Rina, but not for Hanon.

"Goodness Madame Taki, you are as silly as ever. What are you doing?" Hanon sweat-dropped, believing that Taki is doing another one of her silly antics, but Rina turned her attention to Hanon for explanation.

"No, I have already heard this sound before. She is playing a magical ocarina." Rina said. Hanon never heard of it before, but it seemed important if Rina knew about it.

But as Taki played the ocarina, a vortex appeared in front of Goku as he followed Momo into the open sea. He raised his eyebrow in confusion, wondering on what it could be.

"What the… " It was all that Goku could say at that moment before Momo merely jumped inside, like he was doing it every day, which made Goku even more confused. He took a step forward on his cloud and leaned in closer to inspect the vortex. He was wondering on whether he should jump in there or not. But since Momo so casually jumped in, that meant that it's safe. Probably.

"Ah well, here goes." He said before he jumped inside the vortex, hoping that it won't lead him into a trap.

At the same time, Lucia was still preparing for the ceremony. Two servants have given her a royal, double layer pink dress to wear with three pink bows in the front, and her golden hair was now glowing with faint sparkles, her two pigtails wavy and curly, decorated with flowers, longer and with additional pigtail from each side. After a few minutes, Lucia heard a familiar squeaking noise from the distance.

"Momo." She said before she stood up and darted to meet with the infant, much to her servants' surprise.

"Princess Lucia!" one of the servants called out to her. Lucia turned her head to face them.

"I'll be right back." Lucia said before she departed to meet with Momo, leaving the servants in her chambers. She was hovering through the hallways, trying to find the infant.

"Momo, where are you? Momo." She called out to him, looking left and right, but he was nowhere to be found. Then she saw a vortex opening from the watery entrance, with a very familiar person entering the hallways.

Goku appeared from the other side of the vortex. He felt a little dizzy from travelling through the passageway, so he didn't react on time and landed on his face.

"Ouch! That really hurt!" He covered his face with both of his hands, rubbing it for the pain to subside, though he winced every time he tried to rub his face. Lucia gasped at who she saw.

"Goku!" Lucia exclaimed in utter shock and surprise. She never thought she would see him again in her own kingdom, though she was very glad for it. She immediately went to meet with him, not wanting to miss this opportunity. When Momo saw her coming, he departed back to the sea.

Goku slowly got up, still rubbing his face with his right hand.

"Man, what a crazy trip that was." He said, wincing from the pain on his face but is slowly subsiding. Then he looked around the area he found himself in. "Wow, what is this place? Everything is so shiny and pretty." He smiled brightly before his expression was now that of confusion, rubbing his head. "But why is everything pink? It's so weird." He said. Never in his life had he ever seen a huge room with pink color and it was really odd.

Then he looked to his left to find a mermaid wearing a rather odd dress. But it took him a few seconds to recognize the mermaid in front of him. It was his mermaid from a few days ago. There was no doubt about that, because she had two long pigtails and crystal blue eyes.

"Hey, it's you! I'm so happy to see you again, where have you been this whole time?" Goku said cheerfully, glad to see his mermaid again. But she said nothing as she merely turned around and walked away, much to Goku's confusion.

"Wait, where are you going, i…" He said before she gracefully turned around and placed her finger on his lips, silencing him before he could say more, leaning in closer to him and smiling gently.

"I missed you too, my dear Goku." Lucia said, believing he was going to say that. But Goku only wanted her to stay so he can talk to her and have fun without her going away the moment he sees her. But the longer he stared blankly into her beautiful crystal blue eyes, for some reason, she greatly reminds him of a certain girl he hangs out with in school.

" _How bizarre. Why does she remind me of… Lucia?"_ Goku thought. Her gentle and loving look was almost too familiar. Lucia had that same expression from time to time when he hangs out with her at school, it's strange that this mermaid and Lucia look so alike with that expression.

* * *

At the same time, Gaito have finally arrived to Lucia's kingdom, breaching through the roof, striding a giant fish monster, followed by all four of the Dark Lovers.

"At last, we have arrived at the royal kingdom in North Pacific." Gaito smirked before he jumped down on one of the stairs leading down the hallways, with the Dark Lovers doing the same, taking their positions at the stairs. "And now, my servants, while I play a tune that will render all of the mermaids immobile, you will search for the mermaid princesses and bring them to me." He ordered. He then pointed at Yuri with his ornamented staff. "Yuri, you will play the tune by my instructions." He said, much to Yuri's great delight.

"With pleasure." Yuri smirked mischievously, ready to set the plan in motion.

"Now bring those mermaids, along with their pearls, to me." Gaito ordered the water demons to move out and they happily obliged. But while Yuri was playing Gaito's tune, all of the mermaids felt an unbearable pain in their heads, falling down on the floor, trying to fruitlessly fight the pain. Yuri and the other Dark Lovers watched with delight as their plan is slowly working.

"What a beautiful tune, these mermaids don't appreciate a true masterpiece." Yuri mocked he mermaids as she searched for the mermaid princesses.

"Now we have a chance to capture a few more mermaid princesses." Izure said.

"Where did the princess of the North Pacific go?" Maria asked while searching around for any sign of the princesses, but nothing so far.

"Oh boy, I was so taken in by Gaito's music that I forgot to fly." Eril said, flailing her arms and legs before she spinned around and assumed her menacing persona. "I'll be damned if I let them capture the mermaids before me." She said before she darted to hunt them down.

In Taki's quarters, Hanon, Rina and Taki herself were all in severe pain, with the oracle knowing that painful tune all too well.

"Ahhh, my head hurts!" Hanon exclaimed in pain.

"What is that tune?" Rina asked, also in excruciating pain.

"It's as I feared, it's them." Taki said, going through so much pain that she had to assume her clam form for the pain to subside, much to Hanon and Rina's complete surprise.

Elsewhere, Nicole and Hippo were also in terrible pain. Hippo was flailing on the floor, while Nicole shut her ears so the pain would stop, but to no avail.

"It's Gaito, only he could do something like this." Nicole said, trying to fight the pain.

"I can't take it anymore!" Hippo exclaimed, the pain that he is experiencing was too much to bear.

Even Lucia felt a tremendous pain in her head, much to Goku's complete surprise, who was now very worried about her.

" _What is this noise? It feels like my head is gonna explode!"_ Lucia thought, barely being able to fight off the pain, but it just wouldn't stop.

"Hey, are you alright? What's wrong, tell me!" Goku exclaimed, grabbing her arms, anxious to know the answer of her severe pain, but she was in too much pain to answer. Goku wasn't affected at all by the tune, but the mermaid was in so much pain that he just couldn't bear to watch anymore. But then he frowned, gritting his teeth as he sensed four dark energy signals that were approaching in their location.

" _I sense four power levels that are coming here. And all four of those energy signals are… familiar somehow."_ He thought. It took him a few seconds before he noticed four familiar figures hovering above him.

"It's those Dark Lover girls, what are they doing here?" Goku said sternly, clenching his fists on his sides, ready to fight them should they decide to attack him.

Eril was the first to arrive. She noticed Lucia, but was too excited to notice Goku. She switched back to her cheerful persona.

"Look, a pink pearl mermaid princess, finally I have found her." Eril said cheerfully, she couldn't wait to bring her trophy to her master.

"Stand aside, I saw her first." Izure protested.

"What are you talking about? I saw her first!" Eril exclaimed. She was shoved aside by Yuri from behind.

"No, she is mine!" Yuri exclaimed.

"Huh?" Goku sweat-dropped and raised his eyebrow in confusion by their bickering. Apparently, they didn't notice him as the three of them started an argument on who is going to get the mermaid. Then Goku frowned. No one will harm the mermaid as long as he is around.

"Stop it, all of you! Haven't you noticed someone else standing next to the mermaid princess?" Maria pointed at another figure standing next to Lucia, who was all too familiar to the four.

"Oh no, it's that human Goku, how did he get here?!" Eril panicked, shocked to find him here of all places.

"Great, now we have to deal with him to get to the mermaid." Izure growled, sweating nervously as her opportunity is now squandered because of that spiky haired freak.

"But how are we going to deal with him?" Eril asked, frightened to confront him again and get beat up in the process, just like Izure was the last time they fought him.

"By combining our powers, of course." Maria said, making the other three Dark Lovers turn around to her, staring in confusion. "We all know he is too strong to fight head on alone, so we will attack him together and capture the mermaid princess for our master. Are we in agreement?" she said. Yuri, Izure and Eril merely nodded in response, determined on making their master proud. "Good, now let's move out."

All four of the Dark Lovers charged at Lucia and Goku. Lucia has now recovered from the pain, but was not startled and surprised to see the Dark Lovers right in front of them.

"Oh no, it's them!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Great, here they come." Goku frowned, assuming his fighting position, ready to fight. But to his surprise, they did not charge at him. They merely flew above him and they were flying in circular motion, flying faster and faster until they made a watery tornado. In a split second, he carried the mermaid in his arms bridal style and dashed forward to evade the tornado. Lucia blushed a bit for being in his arms, but she couldn't dwell on their moment, because the Dark Lovers were on their tails.

"You cannot escape us!" The four water demons said simultaneously.

"We'll see about that!" Goku exclaimed, dashing from one pillar after another, trying to outrun them, but they were too fast to avoid. He could still sense their energy, they were right at the center of the tornado. Then he came up with a plan.

"I know." He said. He then increased his speed that he appeared like a blur. He made some distance from the moving tornado before he landed and dropped the mermaid. He then turned around to face the water demons.

"Listen, I need you to get out of here, it seems that they are only after you." Goku said, clenching his fists on his sides and crouching slightly, ready to take that spinning vortex on.

"But what about you?" Lucia asked, worried for his wellbeing.

"'I'll be fine, don't worry." He smiled confidently to her, giving her a thumb up before he returned his gaze to the water demons. "Now go, hurry!" He urged her to go, trying to save her from the pursuers. Lucia looked at him with a worried expression on her face before she hesitantly obliged.

"Be careful… Goku." She said to herself silently before she departed. She was worried about leaving Goku by himself against all four of those Dark Lovers, but she had to find Hanon and Rina, so they could help Goku and stop them together.

Then Goku growled, gritting his teeth as he tried to root himself on the ground firmly, so he wouldn't be carried away by the tornado. Then before he knew it, the tornado was right on top of him, trying to pull him in with great force, but Goku managed to stay on the ground. Then he looked above him. The water demons were moving at an impressive speed, but not fast enough as he waited for a moment to jump up quickly and dispatch one of them, so that the tornado may dissipate. It took him a few seconds of patience to jump at the right time, but also an increasing effort as he tried to remain rooted, but the longer he waited, the more of a chance for him to be carried away.

" _Now._ " He thought before he jumped up at an incredible speed and punched Izure in the face, sending her flying through the tornado and pinned her on the wall.

"Why… me?" Izure barely asked herself in severe pain before she was knocked unconscious, disappearing on the spot. Goku spinned backwards and took his fighting position, ready to finish off the rest of the water demons.

Maria, Eril and Yuri hovered above in complete shock. He caught Izure completely off guard with that furious attack and now there are only three of them left to stand against him.

"This is going to be a lot more difficult than I thought." Maria growled.

"I will not be humiliated by a human, not when Gaito is here!" Yuri screamed, simply having enough of that spiky haired freak keep standing in their way.

"Then let's finish him off before he pulls off another one of his attacks and finish us." Maria suggested, with Eril and Yuri nodding in agreement. Then the three of them hovered down on the ground, clenching their fists and gritting their teeth, ready to finish Goku for good.

"Let's go!" Goku exclaimed, clenching his fists on his sides, ready to fight. The three water demons extended their arms and fired their signature attacks simultaneously. It was no big surprise as Goku nimbly dodged their attacks. He evaded Yuri's and Eril's attacks first, jumping from one place to another. Then he pulled out his power pole and spinned it in front of him, shattering all of the incoming ice projectiles in the process. He then sheathed it and took up his fighting stance again.

"It's no use, our attacks have no effect on him at all." Eril frowned, sweating nervously as she dreaded the moment that Goku will take the offensive and finish them.

"How can any human be that strong and fast?" Yuri gritted her teeth, now starting to get nervous by the progress of this battle that seems to go in Goku's favor. Then Maria got an idea.

"Yuri, Eril, this time we attack him with our combined might and I mean with a single, powerful attack. That should be enough to at least incapacitate him so we can bring him to our master." Maria suggested. Seeing there was no other choice, both of them nodded in agreement.

Maria fired large ice shards at Goku. He merely raised his eyebrow in confusion during the attack. He was expecting a different technique, but their attacks are all the same.

"Can't you come up with anything new?!" Goku exclaimed in annoyance as he jumped high in the air to evade the attack. Maria smirked as the moment for a combined attack has come.

"Now!" Maria exclaimed. All three of the water demons jumped high in the air, surrounding Goku and extending their arms, aiming at the young warrior. Goku was caught by surprise by their sudden change of strategy. The Dark Lovers' arms glowed with dark energy, charging up their combined attack and ready to unleash it on him.

"Panthalassa's Retribution!" The three of the Dark Lovers shouted, unleashing a dark beam filled with lightning on Goku and paralyzing him. He screamed in severe pain as he was caught completely off guard by their technique, not being able to move an inch.

" _Well, that's different."_ He thought, trying to free himself from their trap, but so far he didn't even budge.

"Excellent. And now, with you out of the way, we will capture the mermaid princesses and bring them to our master." Maria smirked, satisfied that their plan was successful. But Goku opened his eyes wide by her statement. He even had flashbacks of the time when he first reunited with the mermaid, the next one being when she was singing on the rock with a large moon shining behind her that night, and lastly a kiss they shared in the pool. These Dark Lovers plan to harm that mermaid and everyone else who probably reside in this place. He won't and can't allow this to happen.

"NO!" Goku exclaimed, gritting his teeth, slowly starting to move his head, before he tried the same with the rest of his body. He slowly clenched his fists and moved his arms and legs closer to him, much to the water demon's complete shock.

"What?!" The water demons exclaimed. They were shocked that he is able to resist their combined might, even though when their attack should have immobilized him.

"HHAAAAAAHHHH!" He screamed as he spreaded his arms and legs wide, with a short, white burst of energy suddenly appearing around him, breaking him from the trap and sending a shockwave that knocked down the water demons. Goku spinned down and landed on the ground, panting a bit as his entire body felt numb from that attack. The water demons also descended on the floor, panting heavily as their combined attack took most of their energy. Then Goku gave them a battle-ready smirk.

"Well, I have to admit, you caught me by surprise, i never thought that attack would make me feel so numb." He chuckled confidently until his expression was serious. "But I will not let you harm the mermaid or anyone else, its wrong." He clenched his fists from his sides and was ready to charge at them. The water demons could only watch as he was about to attack and finish them off.

"This guy is not normal!" Yuri screamed, gritting her teeth.

"Who… is this guy?" Maria sweated nervously, now awed by Goku's tenacity and sheer power to overcome their combined attack. But as for Goku, he had enough as he decided to finish them off quickly and then search for the mermaid. He disappeared in a blur and reappeared behind Yuri, who knocked her out with a chop to the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious. As soon as she was down, she disappeared, just like Izure. He then turned his attention to Eril as she fired desperately more of her volleys of dark bolts, but he managed to dodge them and quickly reappeared in front of her, lightly punching her in the gut. The pain was so severe to Eril that she only stood for a few seconds before she too was knocked out. She also disappeared as soon as she lost consciousness. And lastly, he turned towards Maria. But the water demon will not go down without a fight, she fired multitudes of ice bolts at Goku, but it was pointless. Goku already got used to her attacks as he nimbly dodged her attacks and jumped behind her. She then quickly turned around and conjured ice spikes, so she would hopefully damage him. It would have worked if Goku wasn't on guard as he narrowly dodged it, leaping for a rush attack as soon as he evaded her spikes, elbowing her in the gut and finishing this fight in the process.

As soon as they all disappeared, Goku inhaled deeply and exhaled, trying to subside the slight numbness from his body after their surprise attack.

"Good, that takes care of that." He then turned around to face the opposite direction. "Now to find the mermaid." He closed his eyes as he tried to sense the mermaid's energy. But to his surprise, he felt an enormous energy in the direction he was facing.

" _Whoah, I sense an enormous power level from that direction. Its energy feels the same like with the Dark lovers, only a lot more powerful."_ Goku thought. He was slightly impressed by the amount of power that he sensed, almost in comparison to elderly King Piccolo.

Then he detected another energy signal. " _I sense someone else near that enormous power. But why does it…"_ His eyes then went wide in shock at the realization at whom does that signal belong to.

"Is that… Lucia?! What is she doing here?" He exclaimed, his mouth open and eyes wide at the complete shock and surprise of finding his friend from school here of all places. Then he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists on his sides. "I don't know how did she get here, but it seems she is very close to that enormous energy I sensed. And that means she is in grave danger." He growled. He then started to run as fast as he could to get there on time. "Hang on Lucia, I'm coming!" He exclaimed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lucia tried to find Hanon and Rina before anything bad happened to them.

"Hanon? Rina? Where are you?" She called out to them, searching left and right, but no answer. There was no one around, her servants probably looked for a shelter when the Dark Lovers attacked. Then she noticed a shadowy figure near one of the pillars. She smiled brightly, believing she had found her friends, sighing in relief.

"Oh thank goodness, I have… huh?" Her joy was now replaced with confusion and slight fear as she saw a pale and sinister person standing in front of her. He had a striking resemblance to Kaito, but it couldn't be him.

"So, I have finally found you, mermaid princess of the North Pacific." Gaito smirked, satisfied to find a lone mermaid princess to capture. Lucia backed away a few feet in awe of this terrifying person.

" _What? Who is this man?"_ she thought. She tried to run away from him, but Gaito grabbed her by her hands and pinned her on a pillar.

"You are mine, little mermaid. And now I will take you to my castle." Gaito said, keeping his malicious smirk.

"Let me go!" Lucia exclaimed, trying to squirm out of his iron grip, but it was fruitless. She was starting to get increasingly frightened by his menacing gaze.

"I will take a good care of you, just like I have with the mermaid princesses of the North Sea and South Pacific." Gaito said before he looked at her pendant. "Oh and… I will take your pearl as well." He reached for her winged pendant with the intention of taking it from her and the power of the pearl within.

"Nooo!" Lucia exclaimed. Gaito merely snickered menacingly by her futile efforts.

"My, aren't you a feisty one? How about I put you sleep, so you won't be of any resistance?" Gaito grinned maliciously, ready to end this childish game and return to castle with his prize.

" _Who is this guy? He looks like Kaito, but he is not, he looks evil and creepy."_ She thought before tears started to form in her eyes out of desperation, thinking of her loved one. _"Oh Goku, where are you? I miss you."_ She thought sadly. Then a lone tear fell on her pendant. Even Gaito did not expect for what came next, as suddenly, a flux of energy emanated from her pearl, imploding in a short, but powerful burst of pink energy that knocked Gaito down, much to the complete surprise of both Gaito and Lucia. After several seconds Gaito slowly got up unharmed, but still surprised by the sudden burst of energy from her pendant.

" _What was that? That was something I did not expect."_ He thought. Then he frowned as he realized his mistake. _"Ah yes, I remember. Those pearls have a devastating, yet uncontrollable power if it's mixed with the mermaid's negative emotions. I must seize that pearl before that ignorant mermaid brings down a whole castle on our heads."_ He thought before he was about to go and take it from her. But then, someone else appeared.

"Lucia!" Hanon and Rina called out to her friend, coming to aid her. Much to their relief, she was completely unharmed. But they were still on their guard, as a hated enemy stands before them. Rina growled as she recognized her adversary.

* * *

At the same time, Goku was still running through the hallway, getting closer and closer to the source of the two power levels he sensed. But then, he sensed two more and they were both very familiar.

" _I sense two more power levels, next to Lucia and that massive energy. And if I didn't know any better, those energies are…"_ He thought. Then he stopped in his tracks, yet again surprised and shocked as he recognized those energy signals. "What is going on? Why am I sensing not only Lucia's energy, but also… Rina's and Hanon's energy?! How did they get here? I don't understand it." He said to himself. Then he frowned as he couldn't dwell on that at the moment. "Ah well, I guess there is only one way to find out for sure." He then continued to run.

With his enormous speed, he reached the end of the hallway, leading to a chamber where four figures were standing there. There were three mermaids facing a slender, pale man with grey hair and black robes. He was standing there, frowning as he first examined the man.

" _So, he must be the one emanating that enormous energy. And judging by the look on his face, he is not friendly."_ He thought. Not only does his malicious energy confirm that fact, that look on his face was all too familiar. He had seen that expression on many enemies he faced over the years, especially his hated enemy from three years ago, King Piccolo.

But, he had a blank expression on his face and he raise his eyebrow as he was completely confused that those other three energy signals were coming from those three mermaids.

"It's the mermaid!" He exclaimed, smiling brightly before he turned his gaze to the other two mermaids who looked terribly familiar. _"That's weird. Those other two mermaids look very familiar. Especially their faces, their hair too. They look almost like…"_ He thought. He looked at them for a few seconds, trying to find the comparison before he gasped loudly, his eyes and mouth wide, more shocked then before _. "Wait a second. If I sensed Hanon and Rina before and those two mermaids look like them, then that means… They ARE Hanon and Rina!_ He thought loudly. He then turned his gaze to the pink mermaid _. "And that third power level was coming from her. And if I'm not mistaken and those two mermaids ARE Hanon and Rina, then that pink mermaid must be… "_ He thought, starting to have flashbacks of his moments with the mermaid and Lucia from school.

The first one was when he first met Lucia at the beach when he was training.

 _"Umm, hi." Lucia said hesitantly "Have we… met before? Umm…"_

His second flashback was when he met with the mermaid for the second time that night when she was singing on the rock, with a large moon shining behind her. How she approached him and kissed him on the cheek before she left with those cryptic words.

 _"Search for me." The mermaid said. "Search for me and you will find me."_

His third flashback was that time when he first shared a kiss with the mermaid in the pool. And lastly he thought about Lucia's bright smile and laugh that always makes his heart warm. He then returned to the present, finally realizing who that mermaid was this whole time.

"Lucia." Goku said simply. All this time, that mermaid was actually Lucia from school. They are one and the same. But even though he had many questions that needed to be answered, he needed to deal with the threat that was right in front of him.

At the same time, the three mermaids confronted Gaito.

"So it's you after all, Gaito!" Rina growled, simply couldn't stand to see him after what he did to Noel.

"Yes. I allowed you to escape me once, but not this time." Gaito smirked.

"His face looks familiar." Hanon said, never seeing Gaito in person before. Then she gasped as she found the resemblance of this man. "He looks like Kaito!" Hanon exclaimed. Rina confirmed with a nod.

"Three mermaid princesses. How fortunate." Gaito smirked evilly, ready to take the mermaids with him to his castle. But Lucia will not back down. With her friends by her side, she will defeat this strange man.

"We will not let you harm our home and the people we love, so you better back down now." Lucia frowned. She turned her attention to her best friends. "Hanon, Rina, Let's go!" Lucia said. Both of the mermaids nodded in agreement. But Gaito merely grinned maliciously as he knew what they were planning to do, but he had other plans.

"I don't think so." Gaito said simply.

"Huh?" The three mermaids said simultaneously.

"As much as I would love to stand and watch how you fail to defeat me, I don't have the time." He extended his arm and aimed towards the mermaids. "There is a whole of the sea world just waiting to be conquered and I need your pearls to do it." He then charged a powerful ball of dark energy in his hand, ready to unleash it on his target. "And now…" His face was now dead serious. "…die." He said grimly. He then fired the dark ball of energy. The mermaids screamed in fear as that attack was going to destroy them.

"Gokuu!" Lucia screamed desperately, hoping that her loved one would come to save her. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, bracing herself for an inevitable death.

"Oh no!" Goku growled, gritting his teeth as he charged at maximum speed towards the mermaids. Then in a split second, he crossed his arms in front of him and took the full brunt of the energy attack. The ball exploded, making a large smoke and the explosion echoing through the hallways.

Gaito grinned, satisfied that he will now take those pearls from their carcasses and take his next step towards his conquest. But to his surprise and shock, someone was standing in smoke.

"What?!" Gaito exclaimed. As the smoke cleared, there was a man with spiky hair and strange fighting uniform. Goku lowered his arms, without having a scratch on him, and stared at Gaito with a serious expression on his face, clenching his fists from his sides, standing upright.

The mermaids opened their eyes to find a familiar figure standing in front of them. Hanon and Rina smiled brightly, while Lucia blushed a bit as she looked at his broad shoulders and back. But then she too smiled brightly as she couldn't have been happier than now, because Goku saved her again.

"Goku!" The three mermaids exclaimed simultaneously, immeasurably happy to see him in time of need. Goku turned his head slightly, looking at them from the corner of his eye.

"Hi. I'm glad I made it on time, the three of you are without a scratch." Goku smiled. Now that he knows the truth, he will protect his friends, especially Lucia.

The three mermaids looked at him blankly for a few moments. He talks to them like he recognized them, even though they are in mermaid forms. Lucia was more astounded of the three. Could it be that he finally realized that she is Lucia from school?

Goku then turned his attention back to the unknown man. "Please leave now, you are all in severe danger. If you stay here, you will only get hurt." He said in a serious tone, but also concerned for them, because the robed man is a lot more powerful than the mermaids.

"Please Goku, let us fight with you." Lucia said, greatly worried about Goku fighting the leader of the Dark Lovers. Rina and Hanon were also very concerned, but Rina most of all, for she knew how dangerous Gaito can be and Goku fighting him by himself seems suicidal.

"No, this guy is a lot more powerful then all of you. You need to take Hanon and Rina to safety, Lucia." Goku said. These words shocked the mermaids to the core, especially Lucia. She looked at him with eyes wide and mouth open. Her heart skipped a few beats as her troubles have finally come to an end.

"Did… you just call me… Lucia?" She asked, her voice trembling a bit as she couldn't believe that goofball actually realized who she was. Tears of joy started to form in her eyes as she didn't have to hide herself any longer.

Goku turned his attention back to Lucia, smiling gently. "Yes, I understand everything now, Lucia. I can't believe it took me this long to realize that it was you all along." Then he turned his attention back to Gaito. He was losing his patience and Goku needed to be ready for the fight. "We will talk later. Now go and hurry." He said sternly before he took a few steps forward to get closer to Gaito and be ready to fight him.

Even though Goku was rather serious when he told them to leave, Lucia was paralyzed in place out of pure joy and Hanon and Rina were astounded how he casually challenges the ruler of Panthalassa to a fight. Gaito merely grinned, believing that the fool was merely lucky when he beat the Dark Lovers and he won't make the same mistake. The two of them stared at each other for a few moments before Gaito spoke.

"So, you must be a human who is giving my Dark Lovers so much trouble. Goku, was it?" Gaito said in a calm tone.

"Yeah. And judging by your power, you must be their leader." Goku said sternly, frowning at his opponent. Gaito was rather surprised at how he can sense his power, but he kept his calm composure as he cockily folded his arms.

"I am Gaito, king of Panthalassa, the future ruler of the sea world." He tilted his head to the right in amusement. "You know, it's hard to believe that a mere human like you would stand a chance against my powerful servants."

"They wanted to harm innocent people and they had to be stopped." Goku said, clenching his fist in front of him in anger, gritting his teeth. "And it seems you want to do the same. Then, if you want to harm my friends, you are going to have to go through me." He proclaimed. Gaito merely laughed as he made a joke of his bold declaration. This made Goku angrier.

"What's so funny?" Goku growled.

"You are. Not even the mermaid princesses can stand against me and you, a human, dares to challenge me? You must be a bigger fool then all three of those pathetic mermaids behind you if you believe you can stop me from fulfilling my destiny." Gaito smirked. He then placed his hands to his sides. "You are welcome to attack me if you are so confident, but know this…" Gaito then frowned. "I will annihilate you where you stand, even though you are just a human."

Goku got even angrier as he resented his remark of calling Lucia and her friends pathetic. Just for that, he will give him a punch he will never forget. He took his fighting position, gazing at Gaito with a smirk of his own.

"Don't be so sure. I might surprise you." He said confidently. Gaito merely clenched his fists from his sides, waiting for Goku to attack him.

Then after a few seconds, Goku charged at Gaito, much to his complete surprise at his speed.

" _He's quick."_ Gaito thought. Goku was about send a bone crushing punch to the face, but on instinct, Gaito raised a dark barrier around him. Goku was caught by surprise by his sudden defensive maneuver, but he flipped backwards and landed on the ground. But as soon as he landed, Gaito fired powerful balls of dark energy at his opponent, but Goku managed to dodge them on time. Gaito continued to fire for a while, until Goku jumped high in the air and landed behind him. Gaito then fired a large dark ball of energy at Goku. Sensing a potential danger, Goku on instinct crossed his arms again in defensive position, ready to take on that attack. On contact, the dark energy ball exploded, with large smoke and slight electricity surrounding the young fighter for a while.

Lucia, Hanon and Rina's hearts skipped a few beats as Gaito managed to deal a severe blow to Goku. Lucia gasped loudly out of pure fear the moment that blast hit her loved one.

"Gokuuu!" She shouted, holding her hands on her beating heart. Hanon and Rina also gasped at the sight of their battle. Not even Rina expected that Gaito would fight so fiercely against anyone.

"Huh, now that's disappointing." Gaito grinned, believing that the fight was over before it started. But moments later, he noticed someone still standing.

"Nope, I'm still here." Goku said simply, lowering his arms down, having a smirk on his face. Gaito was surprised by his endurance.

"What?!" Gaito exclaimed, surprised that he resisted his powerful attack that not even the mermaids would survive.

"That was a good attack, you almost caught me off guard." Goku smiled with a toothy grin, scratching his nose. Then he crouched and clenched his fists as he was ready for his move. "Time to show you some of my techniques." He said. Even though Gaito's power level was rather impressive, he wasn't as strong as him, so he decided to have fun with him for a while.

Goku then moved so fast that he left a blurry image of himself on the spot, signifying the use of the Afterimage Technique, something that Gaito never witnessed.

"Why you… What trickery is this?" Gaito growled as he was surrounded by Goku's illusions, each one making funny poses, some sticking tongues out in a mocking manner, some upside down and other ridiculous poses.

As Gaito tried to find the real Goku, the mermaids were amazed at how Goku is so casually making games against a terrifying opponent like Gaito.

"Just when I thought I saw everything, Goku keeps amazing me. How is he making so many illusions of himself?" Hanon said in a trembling voice, awed at his incredible techniques and fighting abilities.

"I'm not sure Hanon, but it seems to be working. Gaito can't find him, he is completely confused." Rina frowned. Things are going in Goku's favor for now, but still, she had this chilling feeling that it won't last for long. Gaito is a rather cunning adversary and he won't be defeated so easily.

But Lucia didn't utter a word. She merely smiled in amazement and pure joy at not only at Goku's fighting skills, but also that he finally realized who she is. After this fight, she just can't wait to finally tell everything she held inside of her for far too long.

Meanwhile, Gaito's anger was rising as he had enough of this childish game. He fired one blast after another, but he was only hitting Goku's illusions, which irritated Gaito further.

"Show yourself, coward!" Gaito exclaimed, having a tick mark on his head. Goku appeared behind him with a confident grin.

"I'm back here." Goku said before he kicked him in the head, sending him flying before he quickly ran at the direction he was kicked. He then delivered a crushing uppercut to Gaito as soon as he came into contact with Goku, sending him flying to the ceiling. The mermaids' eyes were wide and theirs mouths were open at pure amazement. He is running circles around a foe that destroyed their kingdoms and making their people flee. It was truly astonishing at how powerful Goku is.

Goku then darted up before Gaito crashed onto the ceiling. He cupped his hands and then smashed Gaito on the back, sending him plummeting to the floor with a loud crash, leaving a small crater. Goku spinned down and landed near the crater with a stern expression on his face.

The mermaids cheered Goku from behind him.

"Alright Goku, that was so incredible!" Lucia cheered Goku on, waving her hands in the air as her loved one was winning. Hanon also cheered, while Rina remained silent. She knew that the fight was not over, but then, so did Goku, as he didn't change his expression. He was still waiting for him to get up, knowing he was a lot tougher than that.

Gaito was slowly starting to get up, but was so infuriated of his level of strength. He had blood on his lips and his body felt numb for a few moments as he tried to recover from his furious attack.

" _How is this possible? I have never encountered a human who possessed such an enormous strength."_ Gaito thought, glaring at Goku, who he was gazing at him sternly while standing upright with clenched fists. _"He moves so fast I can't even hit him. And his fists are like solid steel."_ Then Gaito smirked. _"Well, if I can't fight him head on, then I will have to resort to a special curse of my clan."_

Goku raised his eyebrow in confusion as he watched Gaito stand up with a smirk on his face.

" _Hmm, what's he up to? His power level is still the same. Either he has some hidden technique or he is about to power up to his maximum. Whatever it is, I have to be on guard."_ Goku thought.

"Well, Goku, I have to admit, your power is astounding. I have never thought to see the day when a human race would produce a powerful warrior like yourself." Gaito said in a calm tone with a cocky grin, cleaning the blood from his lips. He then chuckled maliciously "But, you are facing the king of Panthalassa and you will soon enough learn the true meaning of pain. You see, my clan was very proficient in the dark arts for many decades and I have learned many of them during my reign." Gaito then clenched his fists from his sides. "Now, allow me to show you one of my favorites."

Gaito then gritted his teeth as he was radiating with dark aura, readying his deadly spell that will seal Goku's fate. Goku, on the other hand, crouched slightly and clenched his fists in front of him, ready to counter the technique that Gaito is conjuring for him. Gaito's aura was slowly increasing, with purple lightning starting to form around him.

As Goku stood fearlessly in front of his opponent, the mermaids watched in awe at their fight, increasingly frightened by Gaito's next move that could potentially harm Goku. Lucia was the most concerned of the three, but there was nothing she could do to help him. If Gaito was as powerful as Goku said, she would only worry Goku by being in harm's way.

Then Gaito's eyes started to glow red. Goku was about to make his move, but Gaito extended his arms towards Goku, instantly paralyzing him in place. Goku glowed with purple energy, he couldn't even move a muscle. He realized this is a similar technique that General Blue of the Red Ribbon Army used against him when he fought him, but this paralysis was far different. Not only he couldn't move even an inch, his power was also slowly slipping away from him for some inexplicable reason.

" _What is going on? Why am I getting weaker and weaker?_ " Goku thought, couldn't find the explanation for his sudden loss of power. Gaito merely smirked as his own power was increasing, his muscle mass slightly increasing and with lightning starting to form around him.

" _Not good. Gaito's power level is increasing, while mine is slipping away. He is feeding off of my energy."_ Goku gritted his teeth as he couldn't do anything to stop his incantation. Then he screamed in pain as unknown runes started to form on his body in a searing pain, carved on his flesh like someone seared a hot metal on his skin. He kneeled on the floor with his hands down, trying to fight off the pain, but it was useless. The mermaids could only watch in horror as the tables have turned on Goku. Gaito laughed defiantly by these turn of events as his incantation was finally over.

"Ahh yes, I can feel the power coursing through my veins, making me stronger." Gaito clenched his fist in front of him before he turned his gaze towards the weakened Goku.

"Now, let's try this once more." Gaito said before he charged at the young warrior, giving him a crushing punch to the face that sent him spiraling towards the wall up above. Gaito then jumped up and kneed him to the stomach before he backhanded him back down on the floor. He then fired a volley of dark energy balls at him while he was pinned down on the ground.

"Gokuu!" Lucia screamed in utter fear, tears forming in her eyes as her heart skipped a few beats, seeing that Gaito is actually holding his own against Goku. Hanon and Rina also gasped in shock, fearing that Gaito will now turn his attention towards them.

Gaito landed on the ground, actually surprised by the amount of energy he absorbed from Goku. He looked at his clenched fist.

" _This human has an amazing amount of power. I only managed to absorb half of his energy and yet, it's so overwhelming. In addition to my own strength, I feel like I can accomplish anything with this power."_ Gaito thought before he smirked maliciously. _"If I am this powerful after absorbing half of his energy, once I absorb all of it, no one can stop me, not even the almighty Aqua Regina."_

Suddenly, Goku got up from the crater. His arms were burned a bit as he barely managed to resist the volley that Gaito threw at him. He stood upright with clenched fists, panting a bit as he found himself in a troublesome predicament.

" _Darn it, I never thought Gaito would be this powerful after absorbing half of my energy. To make things worse, my power is slowly slipping away._ " Goku thought, gritting his teeth, looking at the runes that are now etched on his body. _"And it's all because of these things that he placed on me, somehow they drain my energy. I have to finish this fight quickly before he manages to absorb all of it. If I don't, then I'm done for."_ He thought, sweating nervously because the fight will not be as easy as he thought. Gaito folded his arms defiantly, smirking at Goku.

"Still alive? Impressive, I thought a weakling like you would die after that attack." Gaito said. Goku growled from his statement.

"Hey, you stole my energy and added it to your own! You call me a weakling and yet you can't fight me with your own power." Goku exclaimed, pointing a finger at Gaito. The king of Panthalassa merely chuckled by his statement.

"Yes, that is true. But I will do anything to accomplish my goals, human." Gaito said in a cocky tone before he grinned. "But, I am willing to tell you a little secret behind the curse that I placed on you. You see, the only way to break the curse is if you power exceeds my own after the absorption."

"Why should I believe you?" Goku growled.

"I never lie. I am simply telling you because at this point, there is nothing you can do to prevent me from achieving my goals. Once I absorb your power completely, no one in this world can stop me from claiming my rightful place as the ruler of the sea world. All who oppose me shall die." Gaito said. Goku had enough as he took his fighting position.

"That's not going to happen while I'm here. I'm going to stop you!" Goku exclaimed. Gaito briefly laughed hysterically before he grinned.

"You are quite a comedian. Come then and face me in my empowered state." Gaito then clenched his fists from his sides again. He was actually surprised by the fact that not only his power was increased, but also his physical attributes. Strength, speed, endurance, agility, all of them dramatically increased, which gave him the necessary tool to finish Goku off and then proceed with his conquest.

Goku charged at Gaito and tried to punch him, but Gaito caught his fist and slammed him on the ground. But Goku kicked him in the gut with both of his feet before he jumped up and delivered an uppercut. Gaito recovered and delivered a crushing backhand to his face and kicked him in the gut, but Goku grabbed his leg and slammed him also on the ground. Then Gaito got up and tried to punch him, but Goku blocked it. Then they started throwing a flurry of punches and kicks at each other for a while. But even though his power was cut in half, Goku still had a slight advantage as he managed to throw solid attacks at Gaito, due to him being a trained martial artist and Gaito never had any real training.

The mermaids watched in astonishment at how their battle scaled to greater heights as they are now moving like a blur around the hallway, occasionally hearing crushing blows from both sides.

"Impossible! How is Gaito able to keep up with Goku?!" Rina exclaimed, infuriated at how someone like Gaito would be that strong and fast.

"It's because of that curse, Rina. Somehow, it empowered him in more ways than one." Hanon explained. She overheard their conversation, but so did Rina, though she still found it hard to believe that it would make him this strong.

"I only hope Goku will find a way to get back the advantage he had before." Rina said, gritting her teeth as she feared the worst. As for Lucia, she didn't utter a word, her eyes were wide and her mouth open as she was awed and worried at the same time as she watched Goku fight this terrible foe. She hoped with all her might that he will stay alive, because she has yet to confess her feelings for him.

" _Please stay alive, my dear Goku."_ Lucia thought holding her chest in fear of his wellbeing.

Goku and Gaito continued their flurry of attacks until Gaito managed to give Goku a blow to the stomach before he punched him in the face, sending him flying to the wall. Goku jumped right back to Gaito and was about to deal a kick in his face, but Gaito dodged the attack and delivered a continuous attack on him, one crushing blow after another. Then Gaito kicked him in the gut, sending him flying again and was about to crash onto a wall. But Goku bounced back, gritting his teeth and growling as he gave Gaito an uppercut before he threw continuous punches in Gaito's stomach. He then spinned and kicked him in the face, sending him flying. He then quickly came behind him and cupped his hands, slamming him down on the ground, but in a split second, Gaito landed on his feet. Goku also landed in front of him, panting as he tried to catch his breath. Gaito was also breathing hard, never expecting that the fight would be this difficult even with the obvious advantage he got.

" _This can't be happening. Despite the power I absorbed from him, he is still able to keep up with me."_ Gaito thought, gritting his teeth as he had enough of his insolence. _"It's time to put a permanent end to his defiance."_

" _Amazing. Even though his fighting techniques are sloppy, he still punches hard. And that means I gotta be on edge. My power is slipping away by the minute making him stronger. If I don't end this now, it's over."_ Goku thought, grinning, but sweating nervously at the same time. Even though his blood boiled for a good fight, the lives of the mermaids were at risk and he can't hold anything back.

"Alright, here we go." Goku said before he cupped his hands in front of him and put them on his right side, charging up his ultimate technique. Gaito raised his eyebrow in confusion by his odd maneuver.

"Kaaa… Meee… Haaa… Meee…" Goku chanted the words for his energy attack. His hands glowed with blue and white rays, signifying that the attack was ready.

"HAAAAAAA!" Goku exclaimed, unleashing the energy wave on his opponent. Gaito's eyes were wide in shock as he didn't expect that kind of attack.

"What?!" Gaito exclaimed. He didn't had time to react as he crossed his arms before the blast hit him. As the Kamehameha Wave made contact with Gaito, it exploded and created a huge cloud of smoke engulfing the hallway and sending a shockwave that shook its foundations. The mermaids screamed as she shockwave knocked them down, closing their eyes. But soon they opened their eyes and looked at Goku, who was the only one standing. Or so they assumed.

"Is it over?" Hanon asked, hoping that Gaito was finished for good. But Rina had a feeling that it wasn't, not by a long shot.

Goku panted heavily as he spent most of his energy into the Kamehameha Wave in hopes of finishing Gaito off. But after several seconds of silence, someone was still standing in the smoke, much to Goku's complete shock.

"What? He survived the blast, but that's impossible!" Goku exclaimed, couldn't believe that the attack didn't work. The mermaids also gasped in shock and horror. Rina gritted her teeth as her fears have come true. Gaito was still alive.

Gaito wasn't down for the count, but he was pretty torn out by that blast. He had bruises and cuts on his entire body. His pants were torn and his robe was disintegrated into bits, leaving him with nothing but jagged necklace. He growled as he lowered his arms, glaring daggers at Goku.

"You insolent wretch, now you have really made me angry! It's time to die!" Gaito shouted, starting to glow with dark aura. Goku took his fighting position again to defend himself, but this time, Gaito charged so fast that he didn't even see him. Gaito gave him a crushing blow to the stomach before he threw a flurry of punches on his face. After a while, he elbowed him to the back of his head before he kicked him, smashing through the pillars and pinning him on the wall. Then Gaito placed his hands together and fired a powerful beam of dark energy at the fighter. Goku never saw it coming as he was hit directly by the blast, creating a large explosion. The mermaids were all shocked to the core, especially Lucia. Tears flowed from her eyes as she just couldn't stand and watch anymore.

"Gokuuu!" Lucia screamed, unable to bear the immense pain that she is experiencing from watching Goku getting thrashed now. Rina gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, for the first time she felt so helpless, like a newborn child who can't even defend himself. Hanon also trembled in fear, unable to do a thing to help Goku out, knowing that Gaito was more powerful then all three of them combined. Lucia was about to charge in to save Goku, but was caught by Rina.

"No Lucia, don't! It's suicide!" Rina shouted, trying to restrain Lucia from killing herself, but after a few seconds of squirming from Rina's grip, she kneeled in defeat, sorrow starting to overtake her.

"I… I have to help him, Rina. I have to." Lucia said, sniffing and crying as she just couldn't watch Goku being in so much pain.

"I know how you feel Lucia, but we can't help Goku at this point." Rina then frowned as she looked at Gaito. "Gaito was the one who destroyed my kingdom, I never stood a chance against him." She then looked at Lucia again. "If anyone has a chance of defeating him, it's Goku. But we will only be in his way if we charge blindly at Gaito. I know it's hard to stand and watch him being in so much pain, but all we can do is hope for the best." She said. Hanon also supported Lucia after breaking from her fear.

"Yes, I would love to help him out too, but we are outclassed by Gaito. We would only get hurt." Hanon then smiled gently and placed her hand on Lucia's shoulder. "Just stay here. For Goku. Ok?" Hanon said in a soothing tone. Lucia realized that her friends are right. If she charged in right now, she would only cause more pain to Goku and making him very worried for her wellbeing during his fight. She inhaled and exhaled slightly before she turned her teary eyes to Hanon.

"Ok." Lucia said in a low and sad tone, holding her hand on her beating chest. Hanon and Rina really wished the situation was different, but all they can do is watch and hope Goku will make it through.

But they were even more shocked as Goku was now lying in the rubble seemingly unconscious. The three of them stared at him waiting for him to get up, but nothing. Gaito merely smirked as he was approaching his battered body, ready to finish him off. Lucia cried loudly on Rina's chest, believing that Goku is down for the count when she saw him in a battered state.

" _No. You can't be dead Goku, you can't."_ Lucia thought, sniffing and sobbing. But all three of them gasped as Goku slowly started to awake. Even Gaito was surprised that he was that determined to win.

"That hurt." Goku said in pain, gritting his teeth as his entire body felt limp after that attack. But he must get up, or else Gaito will finish him off.

"What? Impossible!" Gaito exclaimed, gritting his teeth as he knew that this battle would be difficult to win, but not by this much. Goku stood up, glaring daggers at his opponent and clenching his fists, panting as he tried to get back into the fight. His shirt was destroyed, leaving him with undershirt and the rest of his uniform being ragged.

"I… will not… quit… ever!" Goku exclaimed. He was reaching his limits, but he can't give up. He must win, or else Lucia, Hanon and Rina could get hurt. Or worse. Gaito's anger started to boil as he decided to go for the kill this time.

"RAAAAAGHHH!" Gaito screamed as he conjured powerful electricity on Goku, lifting him up in the air slowly. Goku screamed in severe pain as he couldn't move an inch. His entire body felt completely numb, preventing him from retaliating. It was like Jackie Chun's technique when he used it against him at the World Martial Arts Tournament when he first competed, only Gaito's technique is a lot more painful.

"Gokuu!" The mermaids screamed simultaneously. This time Gaito is not kidding around, he is going for blood this time.

"For all the trouble you cause us this whole time, I will end your miserable life." Gaito gritted his teeth before he grinned evilly. "And when I'm done with you, your friends are next." He chuckled maliciously. Goku's eyes were wide in shock as he gritted his teeth, looking at Lucia who had a sad and teary expression on her face, completely frightened for his wellbeing. Goku even had flashbacks of all the fun times they both shared. He even remembered her cute laughs and giggles that always make him feel happy. And all of that will be gone because Gaito will harm Lucia. It was at that point that his anger and rage reached its breaking point.

Goku was so furious that even his eyes started to glow red, almost as if he was transforming into a Giant Ape, but the actual transformation was not occurring, but something different. Instead, he somehow tapped into the huge energy supply that the Giant Ape transformation brings, his power level skyrocketed to incredible heights at that moment and he clenched his fists so hard that they started to bleed. This shocked Gaito to no end.

"Impossible!" Gaito exclaimed, shaken to the core that his attack has no effect on him. Then Goku roared so loud that even the mirage of a Giant Ape appeared behind him, adding its beastly roar to his own. And as the mighty roar echoes throughout the hallways, a blinding flash of light engulfed the entire area, stunning both the mermaids and Gaito, but Gaito was knocked back as for some inexplicable reason, the runes on Goku's body disappeared and his curse has been broken, losing all of the power he gained from Goku in the process and restoring Goku's energy.

But during Goku's dramatic comeback, Madame Taki was completely shocked as a beastly roar of a Giant Ape sent chills through her entire body, making her tremble by the raw power she just experienced.

"What a… great power." Taki said in a trembling voice. "But where did it come from? It couldn't be from the Panthalassa, this power felt massive, but wild." Taki then looped around her crystal ball to reveal a spiky haired fighter on it. "Who is this young man? He can't be a human. Never before I have seen a human being with such a wild and uncontrollable power residing within." Taki frowned. She knew that this young man was something else entirely and she needs to keep a close eye on him. She is only relieved that he was on their side and not the Panthalassa.

At the same time, Goku slowly got up, standing upright. He looked at his hands, realizing that all of his power has returned again. He smiled brightly now that his energy has been restored.

"Alright, I'm back at full strength! Yeeahhh!" He raised his fist high in air out of joy. He then had a blank expression on his face as he remembered about his opponent. He frowned as he looked at Gaito, who was knocked down.

" _I almost forgot. I need to finish him off before he can pull off another one of his energy stealing techniques."_ Goku thought before he clenched his fists on his sides, ready to finish this fight.

Gaito slowly got up, gritting his teeth as he realized that his plan had failed.

"How can this be happening? It's impossible that this human's power is superior to mine. It's infuriating!" Gaito growled, utterly frustrated and shocked at how Goku managed to break the curse he placed on him. Goku gave Gaito a battle-ready smirk.

"It's over Gaito. You had your chance to defeat me and you failed." Goku said before he clenched his fists in front of him, gazing at him sternly. "Now, give up."

Gaito growled, his anger rising by Goku's insolence. He dares to shrug him off like he was a trivial problem.

"You filthy human! I will never surrender to one of your kind!" Gaito shouted, his anger and rage boiling in his veins. Goku said nothing as he took his fighting position ready to charge.

"Then it's time to finish this." Goku said simply. He then clenched his right fist tightly before he leaped forward to finish his opponent. Gaito merely raised his barrier in defense, but Goku continued with his assault as he punched the barrier.

"You fool. You will never breach through my barrier, it is useless." Gaito smirked, believing he is safe inside his dark bubble. But Goku said nothing as he put more effort to breach through the barrier. He gritted his teeth and put more energy into the attack and he was slowly pushing inside, much to Gaito's utter shock. Electricity started to spark as he continued to push inside. Then, as soon as the barrier was breached, Gaito's eyes went wide in surprise at that moment. Goku punched Gaito in the face, sending him flying. Then he charged behind him and gave him a crushing blow to the stomach before he delivered a flurry of furious punches at him. After a while, he finished his assault with an uppercut that sent him spiraling towards the ceiling. In a split second, Goku jumped up and bounced from the ceiling. Gaito never saw it coming as Goku delivered a hard kick on his face, sending him darting towards the nearby wall in a big crash, leaving a big hole in the wall and a crater.

The mermaids' eyes went wide and their mouths were open in complete shock as Goku was running circles around Gaito again, sending powerful blows that sent chills down their spine every time Goku delivered a crushing attack. While Lucia was just as shocked, she still cheered Goku on, immensely relieved that he is now alright and winning.

But Goku was not finished. Goku spinned back down and cupped his hands in front of him, ready to deliver a final attack and end this fight before it gets any worse.

"Kaaa… Meee…"

But as Goku was charging his Kamehameha Wave, Gaito was still down, but conscious. His entire body felt completely limp and he couldn't move a muscle. He gritted his teeth in defeat, closing his eyes as he knew that he was completely outclassed.

"This… can't be happening. Who… is he?" Gaito glared daggers at Goku, breathing hard as he tried to catch his breath from Goku's furious assault, but he was completely surprised by his next attack. Goku's hands started to glow with blue and white rays as he charged his energy attack.

"Haaa… Meee…"

Gaito's eyes went wide and his mouth was open as he knew that it was Goku's finishing move. He then glared again as he knew this was it. In his current condition, he can barely stand up, let alone fight him. That last attack has damaged him more then he thought. He resented what he had to do, but he had to retreat. It was either that or be completely obliterated by Goku's attack.

Gaito disappeared, travelling like a dark matter back to his giant fish monster.

"Huh?" Goku was surprised that Gaito ran away. He frowned as he tried to find him, but he was at some enormous monstrosity that Goku never saw in his life.

"This… isn't… over… Goku." Gaito spat at his name, panting heavily as he was holding his hand on his gut, barely being able to stand up. Then a giant fish started to leave the kingdom, retreating to Gaito's castle.

But Goku was not fazed at all by his statement as he merely frowned silently. In his current state, there was no need to chase him down. The mermaids were safe and so were everyone else in this place. He knew that if he were to return to fight him again, he will be ready. Then Goku inhaled and exhaled deeply as he relaxed his tense muscles and faced the mermaids sincerely, especially Lucia.

He started to walk towards them to check them out. He was kinda frustrated that they didn't ran away like he told them to, but he admired their bravery. Still, he didn't want them to be hurt and that was the reason he tried to send them away, but they decided to stay and give him the support for his fight. He appreciated that a lot, especially from Lucia. Her support was all he needed to win.

"Hey, are you girls okay?" He asked gently. The Mermaids cheered Goku for his victory.

"Wow Goku, that was amazing!" Hanon cheered.

"Yeah, congratulations on your victory, I'm truly impressed." Rina smiled, happy that Goku won against her hated enemy. Goku gave them a toothy grin as he rubbed the back of his head, snickering childishly.

"Thanks" Goku said before he put his clenched hands on his hips. "I'm just glad that all of you are alright."

Then Goku turned his attention towards Lucia, who had a loving expression on her face. Tears of joy formed in her eyes and she smiled lovingly at Goku, who returned his joy with a wide grin that she always loves so much.

" _Goku."_ Lucia thought.

" _Lucia."_ Goku thought.

But suddenly, much to everyone's surprise, an enormous white light appeared from a giant pearl fountain that was nearby, the light shining so brightly that it illuminated the entire area. Then a faint figure started to appear. It soon revealed a blonde woman with long hair, dressed in royal white- turquoise dress, wearing a crown and a winged staff with a blue jewel on its base, the hilt ornamented with leaves. The specter descended closer to Goku and the mermaids. Goku had no idea who this woman was, but the mermaids knew who it was all too well as they were yet again surprised, this time enormously from her appearance.

"Impossible." The mermaids said simultaneously, the only word that could come out of their mouths at that moment. A woman merely smiled gently.

"Yes, it is possible. I am the goddess of the sea, Aqua Regina." The deity introduced herself before she turned her attention to Lucia. "You must be the princess of the North Pacific, Lucia?" she asked.

"Umm… Yes, mistress Aqua Regina." Lucia said hesitantly, a little intimidated to meet the deity in person. The goddess then turned her attention to all three of the mermaids.

"Do you tend to the sea world?" Aqua Regina asked sincerely, with the mermaids nodding in agreement. "And the surface world?" she asked. Rina and Hanon stayed silent, while Lucia blushed a bit, turning her attention to Goku, who was looking at the goddess with blank expression with a hint of amazement of seeing a deity in person. Aqua Regina merely smiled gently at Goku before she turned her gaze back at the mermaids.

"Listen carefully, my dear mermaid princesses. Many years ago, there was an evil tribe who tried to conquer the sea world and bring chaos to our peaceful lives. I had to use all the power at my disposal to stop the threat. I succeeded in quenching the rebellion and banished them to the bottom of the sea." Her expression was then sad, regretful that she couldn't wipe the threat out completely. "But their dark powers are returning. I don't have the strength to stop them once more. The only way for me to be summoned again is if the mermaids of the seven seas unite the power of their pearls." Then she smiled again. "However… I must congratulate you on your victory. The king of Panthalassa is very powerful and I must commend you for stopping him in conquering this peaceful kingdom. But before I depart, I will grant you a newfound strength in your quest to restore the peace in the seven seas. Our music is love and love is strength and so I grant you a new music."

Then her staff glowed in purple light. The Mermaid's pearls radiated with respective colors, feeling the power that is coursing through their veins, giving them the necessary strength to combat the other threats in the future. Goku could sense that their power levels increased moderately. Lucia smiled gently before she replied.

"We are immensely grateful, mistress Aqua Regina, but it was Goku who stopped Gaito. He fought him fearlessly and defeated him." Lucia smiled, holding Goku's hand. Goku merely smiled gently at her, who she was looking at him with a loving gaze. Aqua Regina merely smiled as she recognized the young warrior.

"So, you must be the hero of the surface world, Goku?" Aqua Regina asked sincerely. Goku looked at her blankly before he replied.

"Uhh yeah, Miss Aqua Regina." Goku said nervously, rubbing the back of his head. The goddess was well aware of his exploits, even his victory against King Piccolo from three years ago. But she decided to remain silent about that, because it would only further burden the mermaids.

"My deepest gratitude for aiding the mermaids in defeating Gaito, your strength and power is truly astonishing. Your heroic deeds are well known, even in the sea world." Aqua Regina smiled before she looked at him with a slightly serious expression. "But, even though you have saved this kingdom and all the lives who reside within, the events of this day… must be erased from your memory."

These news shocked Goku and Lucia to the core as they gasped loudly, their eyes going wide. They couldn't believe that this is happening, especially Lucia. After all the waiting for Goku to realize who she is, after all the troubles, it will all be taken away just like that? Even Goku didn't want this to happen in the slightest, for he at long last realized who Lucia actually was. Lucia grabbed Goku's hand firmly out of desperation.

""No, no! Please, Aqua Regina, don't do it, I beg of you! Please!" Lucia exclaimed desperately, tears of sorrow starting to flow from her eyes, her heart aching from severe pain. The goddess bowed her head down and closed her eyes as a sign of compassion. She understood her pain, but this deed needs to be done.

"I am sorry, princess Lucia. I realize that you really care for this young man and he would most certainly be a mighty ally…" She then opened her eyes "… But it has to be done. The human race must not be involved in the war that rages in our peaceful seas. If they were to interfere, then they too would feel Gaito's wrath." She said. It was now Goku's turn to speak up, having heard enough.

"That's not going to happen! I'm going to stop Gaito, just like I have today." Goku proclaimed, clenching his right fist in front of him. He was too against the idea of erasing his memories, especially now that he realized that Lucia and the mermaid are the same person. The goddess would want nothing more than to return the peace to the seas and Goku is definitely the one who would stop Gaito and his schemes, but she dreaded that humanity would suffer the same fate like they had at the hands of King Piccolo and that is a scenery she never wanted to be repeated. For that reason, she must keep Goku and the rest of the humankind out of their troubles.

"Your courage is admirable and there is no doubt you have the strength to stand against the evil forces of the Panthalassa…" She smiled gently before her expression was slightly serious again. "… But the human race is not prepared for this war, nor do they realize that we even exist. They are aware of neither the Panthalassa nor the mermaids and that is the secrecy that needs to be preserved." She then pointed her staff at Goku, much to their increased shock. "Farewell, Goku."

But before Goku could say anything or react, the staff glowed brightly, blinding him.

"Nooooo!" Lucia screamed desperately, trying to prevent this from happening, but it was futile. With a flash of blinding light, Goku was gone and he was teleported back to the shore where he was training, with a sun setting on the horizon, his wounds healed and his clothes restored. With his memories erased, the goddess said to him a few words telepathically before she too departed.

" _Protect the surface world, young warrior. Humanity is counting on you."_ Aqua Regina said.

"Huh?" Goku raised his eyebrow in confusion, not knowing who said that. After a while, he gave up on it and returned home, for some reason feeling really tired.

Aqua Regina had to do it, though with heavy heart. She was aware that Lucia loved him with all her heart, but she was also aware that Goku loves her too, even though he doesn't realize it himself. That fact has been proved when he defied her against the idea of wiping his memories out, almost as if he wanted to fight her to stop her from doing that. But, she realized that even if Goku were to fight at their side, then humanity would surely perish in Gaito's destructive wake and for that reason, she had to do what needed to be done. She merely closed her eyes silently and disappeared into nothingness.

After Aqua Regina was gone and the blinding light subsided, Lucia's pupils went thin in horror and utter shock, her body shivering uncontrollably and her heart stopping a few beats in those horrible moments, aching in unbearable pain. She couldn't believe that it actually happened, everything she ever hoped for… gone. Despite his heroic efforts and his victory against Gaito, this was his reward? His memories wiped out, and her with it? His realization that she and Lucia from school are one and the same? It was simply… unbearable for her to even handle such a pain. This made Rina and Hanon extremely worried as they looked at their shocked friend.

"Lucia?" Rina asked, hoping Lucia doesn't snap.

"Are you okay?" Hanon asked, frightened that she might go berserk after what Aqua Regina had done. Worse, to allow her pearl to go wild and destroy everything around her. But Lucia said nothing. She merely stood there for a few moments, her face stained in tears, with more flowing from her sad eyes. Unable to bear the pain any longer, she ran as fast as she could into her private quarters, crying loudly as she reached her breaking point.

"LUCIA!" Hanon and Rina called out for her, but it was useless to chase her. They merely looked at each other sadly before they looked back at Lucia, fully understanding her immense pain. She desperately wanted for Goku to know who Lucia is and the goddess had to take it all away. It was all unfair and they both realize that it will leave a tremendous scar on Lucia's heart. They were afraid of how will she be now that the deed is done. But there was nothing they could do or say anything to cheer her up, the damage was too severe. They sighed slightly as they went to search for Hippo and the others to see if they were alright, hoping that Lucia won't do anything foolish.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Gaito's throne room, Gaito was sitting on his throne, gripping his fists by his utter humiliation by a simple human.

"How did this happen? How can a mere human possess so much power?" Gaito growled in a low voice, gritted his teeth as he had flashbacks of him being thrashed by Goku.

"No, he is not a human. He is something else entirely. That power he unleashed when he was at death's door…" He then had a flashback of Goku's furious roar and the mirage of a Giant Ape behind him, who added its beastly roar to Goku's, increasing his power tremendously and breaking his curse in a flash of blinding light.

"It's hard to imagine that he would be that powerful. If I didn't witness it myself, I never would have believed it. His power might surpass even Aqua Regina." He growled before he settled down a bit after a few moments, getting up from his throne and clenching his fist.

"No matter. I have tasted the power that he possessed firsthand…" He then had flashbacks of his furious battle against him after he absorbed his powers with his curse. "… and now I know how to obtain it." He then grinned maliciously and started to chuckle a few seconds, fully aware of what he must do to win against Goku in their rematch and he won't make a single mistake when that time comes.

"You will not survive our next battle, Goku. Next time… you are dead." Gaito said before he started to laugh hysterically, his evil and ominous laughter echoing through the hallways, foreshadowing the day when he will stand triumphant and at long last fulfill his destiny. Nothing will stand in his way this time, not even Goku.


	8. Chapter 8

~Mystical Adventure~

The next day, after achieving victory against Gaito in Lucia's kingdom, the mermaids were returning to the Pearl Hotel in South City. The ceremony proved to be a success, as Lucia is now considered an adult mermaid and was permitted to go to the surface world once again. But it didn't matter to Lucia, not even in the slightest. For the entire trip back to South City, she had the same sad expression on her face and she didn't even utter a word the whole time, which made Hanon and Rina extremely worried, as well as Hippo, Nicole and Madame Taki. The trip back to the city was supposed to be a joyous return, but it was a polar opposite mood for the pink mermaid princess, which made the trip back to the hotel gravely silent.

After they all arrived in the hotel, Lucia silently went to her room and locked herself inside. She slowly made her way to her bed and lied down faced towards the wall, not changing her expression. She couldn't stop having flashbacks about what Aqua Regina did. Despite everything that Goku did for her and her people, she had to wipe his memories, even the part where he realized that she was his mermaid. The pain and sorrow was too great as tears flowed from her eyes, starting again to sniff and sob before she cried loudly on the pillow. All the troubles of waiting for him to realize the truth was for nothing.

Hanon and Rina pressed their ears on the door, listening to the cries behind it. Their hearts ached every time they hear her sobs and sniffs. They didn't realize up until now the damage that the goddess caused. They were somewhat agreeable about the part of keeping humanity out of their war, but wiping Goku's memories was completely unnecessary, as they knew he was trustworthy and that act would only hurt Lucia tremendously. They looked at each other sadly, simply not knowing what to do to cheer her up. For the time being, they leaved her alone and hoped that her sad mood will eventually disappear.

* * *

But, it didn't turn out that way. For the past three days, Lucia was still locked in her room. She refused to take even a single step outside of her room. She didn't even say anything when Hippo or Nicole tried to talk to her. She remained silent when even Hanon or Rina tried to cheer her up. Not wanting to force her out of the room, both of them went to school, again without Lucia.

As Hanon and Rina entered the school grounds, they had a conversation about Lucia.

"Rina, I'm starting to fear for Lucia. She didn't come out of that room in three days and she didn't even utter a word to any of us. What do you think we should do?" Hanon said in a worried and slightly shivered tone.

"I don't know, Hanon, i guess the damage was more severe than we thought." Rina said in a low and serious tone before she looked at Hanon. "But we will have to wait a little longer, we don't want to force her out of the room and make things even worse, she is already in too much pain."

Hanon nodded hesitantly, not having a clue on what to do to brighten Lucia's mood. She had to go with Rina's suggestion until a better solution was found. Then they noticed Goku entering the school grounds with a typical smile on his face, completely oblivious to Lucia's whereabouts. Hanon and Rina looked at each other. They knew that he wasn't concerned in the slightest about Lucia, because Aqua Regina wiped his memories of everything that happened from that day. They wished the situation was different, that she didn't do what she did. Then Goku and Lucia would finally be a couple and Lucia would be immensely happy as the result. But it didn't, which made both of them angry at what she did, but her word is law and there was nothing they could do or say against the deity. They merely sighed slightly to let out their frustrations as they went to the class.

Several minutes later after Goku, Hanon and Rina entered the classroom, the class has begun. Taro Mitsuki opened his school book and checked on all of the students. Goku looked blankly at Lucia's empty seat in front of him, leaning his head on his crossed arms on the table, wondering where could she be. It was not like her to be away for so long. It was either she was still visiting her relatives in the countryside or she was sick back home. Either way, strangely enough, the school was really boring for him in the last three days and he was wondering what could have happened to her.

Hanon noticed Goku's pondering and she smiled gently. She was relieved from the inside that this goofball wasn't as dense as she thought. Despite the fact that his memories were erased, Goku still retained his interest towards Lucia and Hanon noticed this, otherwise he wouldn't be looking at that empty seat like a little child who was scolded by his mother.

"Lucia Nanami." Taro said after checking on other students before Lucia. Hanon stood up in her name.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Mitsuki, but Lucia is feeling ill and she had to stay home." Hanon said, bowing in respect before she stood upright again. Goku turned his attention to Hanon in slight surprise.

"Still? This is the third day that she is absent, is it something serious?" Taro asked in a slightly worried tone.

"No no, don't worry Mr. Mitsuki, its nothing serious. She just caught a nasty cold, that's all." Hanon lied, though Goku was oblivious to that. Taro again smiled gently.

"Okay, I wish her fast recovery." Taro said.

"Thank you." Hanon smiled before she sat down on her chair. Goku raised his eyebrow in interest. Lucia returned home after all, but if she is truly sick, then he doesn't want to disturb her and he will have to wait until she feels better and see her at school. Little did he know that it wasn't the case at all.

* * *

It wasn't until a full week passed that Hanon and Rina were really worried for Lucia's wellbeing. She was still locked in her room and her mood was exactly the same the day they returned. Hippo and Nicole tried to cheer her up, but they also grew worried as time passed. Not even Madame Taki's silly antics put a dent in once cheerful and carefree Lucia. At that point they realized they had to do something fast before something bad happens to her from all that suffering.

They all gathered in the living room at the table to discuss on how they are going to brighten Lucia's mood.

"Girls, I'm very concerned for Lucia. Do any of you possibly know how we can cheer her up?" Nicole asked in a very worried tone.

"Yeah, I hate seeing Lucia so sad, we have to do something girls. Please, do any of you have any ideas?" Hippo asked in a shivered tone, starting to panic a little as this whole situation was getting out of hand.

"Calm down, Hippo. We are all worried for Lucia, but panicking won't do anyone good, we need to keep cool." Rina said. Though she was just as worried as everyone else, she knows that losing their cool would make things worse.

"How can we keep cool when she is locked in that room for a week?!" Hanon exclaimed, infuriated that Rina could be so calm in a time like this. In all this time of knowing Lucia, she was like a sister she never had and she was both angry and sad at the predicament Lucia found herself in.

"That's the only thing we can do for now, Hanon. We can't go against her will, enough damage has already been caused." Rina frowned. Hanon looked at the table sadly.

"I never would have thought that Aqua Regina would cause so much damage just by erasing Goku's memories." Nicole pondered, looking sadly on the table.

"Aqua Regina is a kind-hearted deity, her intentions for Goku and the human race were noble." Madame Taki said.

"But completely unnecessary! Goku almost died trying to defend us and she had to wipe his memories as a reward?!" Hanon exclaimed. Even she knew Goku is trustworthy and he would defeat Gaito with ease, just like he did back in North Pacific, but she couldn't do anything to stop Aqua Regina and she hated herself for not speaking up at that time.

"That's enough Hanon!" Nicole suddenly exclaimed, startling Hanon, Rina and Hippo. "It's not just difficult for you, but for all of us!" Nicole soon sighed slightly before she looked at the table again with a regretful look. "It's my fault. If I didn't force Lucia into this ceremony, none of this would have happened. I wanted for Lucia to be a mature and responsible mermaid princess, but I never would have thought that things would turn out this way." Nicole gritted her teeth, guilt consuming her for putting Lucia in a state of sorrow and suffering she found herself in.

"Hey, don't blame yourself. None of us expected that Gaito would attack so suddenly, nor did any of us count on Goku showing up when he did." Rina comforted Nicole before she gently smiled. "In a way, that ceremony prevented Gaito from destroying Lucia's kingdom and Goku's sudden arrival prevented the untold catastrophe." She said. Nicole looked at Rina and also smiled, lifting the burden that she placed on herself.

But suddenly, an idea popped in Hanon's mind. "Goku! That's it!" Hanon exclaimed, smiling brightly while getting up from her seat suddenly, startling the others a bit.

"What about Goku, Hanon?" Rina asked hesitantly, sweat-dropping from her sudden change of mood.

"Just think about it, Rina. Goku is probably the only one who can cheer Lucia up at this point. You know how Goku always has ways of making people happy around him, so I think he will definitely brighten Lucia's mood." Hanon smiled. Rina had to agree, Goku was always the optimistic person, like a male version of Lucia. They both share the same traits: always so cheerful and carefree, making people feel better and helping them when they are in trouble. But at this point, Rina was skeptical about asking for Goku's help.

"I don't know, Hanon. I'm worried that Lucia's condition will get worse if Goku shows up." Rina folded her arms in doubt.

"Well, there is nothing else we can do. We all tried to cheer her up, but nothing worked. Goku might be the only one who can make her happy again." Hanon said, leaning closer to Rina. Rina looked at her silently, pondering on her suggestion. She was worried that Lucia would snap if they add fuel to the fire. But she was right, there are no other options but going to Goku and ask for his help. At this point, it's probably the only way of getting their old Lucia back.

"Alright Hanon. Let's go now and ask him, there is no time to waste." Rina said in a serious tone. Hanon smiled brightly as she expected that kind of answer, not wasting a second as they went to Goku's house.

As soon as Hanon and Rina have left the hotel, Nicole turned her attention to Madame Taki.

"Taki, be honest. Do you think this Goku will be able to do what we couldn't do? To brighten Lucia's mood?" Nicole asked, a little skeptical of Hanon's and Rina's plan.

"I do not know of this young man Nicole, but all I know is that he is not on the side of Panthalassa. The power I felt when he fought Gaito, it was… dreadfully massive." Taki sweated nervously, having flashback of the thunderous roar of a massive beast that sent chills down her entire body. But soon she composed herself and smiled. "But there is nothing to worry about. If the girls believe he will get our old Lucia back, then we should trust in their judgment. They are mermaid princesses after all." Taki reassured, though Nicole was still a little skeptical as she looked at the entrance doors. But even she had to go along with their plan, since she too wanted happy-go-lucky Lucia back.

* * *

An hour later, Hanon and Rina have reached Goku's household. They knocked on his door, but there was no answer. They continued to knock on his door and ring at his doorbell for a while, but still no answer.

"Where could he be, Rina?" Hanon asked curiously.

"My guess is he is probably training at that beach he usually goes." Rina said.

"Then let's go over there and check it out." Hanon said, with Rina nodding in agreement.

After several minutes of walking, they finally reached the beach where Goku is training. They guessed right as they found Goku throwing furious punches and kicks. As for Goku, even though a good while passed since he commenced his intense training, he was still in the thought about Lucia. A week has passed and she was still absent. But Hanon said she only caught a cold, there is no way she was still sick from that. He had this feeling in his gut that it was something else entirely, something more than mere sickness, but he couldn't put a finger on it for reasons he doesn't know. But before he could ponder on it any further, someone called out for him from behind.

"Goku!" Hanon called out for him as they were getting near him. Goku stopped with his training and turned around to see who it was. He smiled cheerfully as he noticed Lucia's best friends.

"Oh hi Hanon, Rina. What are you two doing here?" Goku asked. He was surprised to find them here of all places, but he was glad to see them nonetheless. Hanon didn't waste any time as she cut right to the chase.

"Well, Goku, we came to ask for your help." Hanon said with a somewhat sad expression on her face.

"Why, is something wrong?" Goku asked with a blank and innocent expression. He could tell that something is wrong just by looking at Hanon's sad face, but he waited patiently for an answer.

"Well, it is. But it's about Lucia." Hanon said hesitantly.

"Lucia? What happened, is she okay?" Goku asked, now starting to be slightly worried that something didn't happen to her. Seeing Hanon's hesitation because the pain she felt prevents her from going into details, Rina stepped in.

"Actually Goku, she is not. Hanon lied when she said Lucia was sick. It's something else entirely." Rina said with a serious expression. Goku frowned slightly by her statement.

"What is it Rina? Tell me." Goku said in a serious tone. He could tell that Rina was dead serious, but he also knew that she is her best friend, next to Hanon, and he knew that she was just as worried as Hanon for Lucia. He only feared that it wasn't something dangerous, like a mortal wound or something.

"Well, the truth is, she has been locked in her room for a week and she didn't stop crying since then. We all tried to cheer her up, but nothing worked." Rina frowned, looking at the ground before she turned her attention to Goku. "That's why we came here. We believe you are the only one who can make her happy again." Rina said. Goku's felt a surge of immense pain in his heart when she said that. Lucia crying, those words hit him hard, like a powerful energy blast. He hated when she was sad, but now that Rina said Lucia was crying non-stop for a whole week, makes him feel… crushed from the inside. He couldn't explain why, but these news had hit him harder then he thought.

"Please Goku, you have to help Lucia, she needs you." Hanon begged, cupping her hands in plea. After Goku composed himself, he frowned.

"Okay, let's go." Goku said simply. Hanon and Rina smiled, they knew he wouldn't let Lucia down. Not wasting a second, the trio headed back to the Pearl Hotel.

* * *

An hour later, they arrived at the hotel. Goku greeted Nicole and Madame Taki in the living room before he left upstairs with Hanon and Rina.

"She is behind the third door to the left." Hanon pointed at Lucia's room.

"And please don't say anything stupid." Rina said bluntly, making Goku almost lose his balance, making him sweat drop from her statement.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best." Goku chuckled nervously before his face was serious again. He slowly made his way to the door Hanon showed to him and gently pressed his ear on the door. Hanon and Rina were not kidding, Lucia was indeed crying. He could hear her sobs and sniffs behind the doors, making him grit his teeth in frustration for not realizing it earlier, then he would be able to help out much sooner. But this was no time for regrets, now he needs to help Lucia. He gently knocked on the door.

"Hey Lucia, are you in there?" Goku asked gently with a childish expression.

"Who is it?" Lucia said in a sad tone. She sniffed and hiccupped before she turned her attention to the familiar voice behind the doors. Hearing all this just pains him immensely, but he had to keep his composure. He had to if he was to cheer Lucia up.

"Can you open the door? It's me, Goku." He smiled gently. Lucia's eyes were wide in surprise as she cleaned the tears staining her face, smiling brightly.

"Goku? Is that really you?!" She immediately got up and unlocked the doors, opening it to see that it was indeed Goku. He gave the brightest smile he could for Lucia.

"Hi." Goku said with a wide toothy grin. Lucia allowed him inside before she again locked the doors. Hanon and Rina smiled at each other, sighing in relief. They were glad that Goku came after all, Lucia's mood changed significantly the moment he came. Now they only need to wait for her to get out of that room and for everything to return to normal.

Goku turned his attention to Lucia.

"What's wrong, why are you so sad?" He smiled gently, trying to cheer her up. But seeing stains of tears on her face makes it difficult for him. But her joy was replaced with sorrow again as she couldn't forget about his erased memories. There he is, with a typical goofy grin that always made her feel better, but right now, only slightly because only a week ago, he realized that she was his mermaid, but right now… she is only Lucia for him. She cried on his chest loudly, again sobbing and sniffing. Goku felt immense pain in his chest from seeing her in such a state, his heart felt like it's gonna shatter in million pieces.

"Hey it's okay, everything is gonna be alright." He said in a soothing tone, rubbing her back and her head for crying to subside, just like Hanon instructed him while they were getting back to the hotel. It was slowly working, Lucia was starting to calm down a bit. Then he also pulled out a bottle filled with sugar, a liquid that Rina gave him to make her calm.

"Here Lucia, drink this." He smiled.

"What is it?" Lucia sniffed a bit.

"Water filled with sugar. It will make you feel better." He gave the bottle for her to drink. Goku and Lucia sat on her bed before she started to drink the bottle. After a while, she inhaled deeply and exhaled before she slowly started to calm down. Goku sighed in relief inwardly, he was glad to see Lucia all better now. Lucia smiled gently in gratitude.

"Thank you, Goku. I feel a lot better now, thanks to you." She smiled gently. She was touched that Goku came when he did and helped her feel better. She couldn't have been more grateful then now, her knight in shining armor coming to the rescue. Goku smiled brightly, glad to see her in a fine mood.

"Sure, anytime." He smiled before his face was blank again. "Can you tell me what made you so sad? Everyone has been so worried about you." He asked. Lucia turned to face Goku. Seeing that innocent expression on his face makes her to tell him everything about that day, but she couldn't. Yet again, Goku must find out for himself that she is his mermaid. She looked on the floor sadly with a gentle smile.

"It's nothing Goku, but thank you for asking." Lucia said.

"Are you sure?" Goku asked. Lucia merely nodded in response. But Goku knew that something was definitely wrong if Lucia cried for a week. But he knew that he won't be getting any answers, because Lucia doesn't need any questioning right now and her sad look on her face doesn't help things either. Goku was holding his chin, trying to come up with a solution to this problem. Then after a few seconds of brainstorming, he came up with the idea.

"I know!" He said cheerfully before he stood up and opened the window, making Lucia look at him curiously. "How about we go for a ride?" Goku asked.

"A ride? You have a car?" Lucia asked with a blank expression. Goku laughed light-heartedly before he quickly calmed down.

"No silly, but we can ride on something cooler then cars." Goku said with a toothy grin before he jumped on the roof. "Come on, let's get a move on." He said cheerfully. Lucia's face went slight blue seeing him on the roof.

"Are you crazy? Get in here, you will fall down." Lucia said, worried that he might break his head from falling down. Goku snickered childishly. He could fall from the clouds all the way down and he will land without a scratch no problem.

"Just trust me, okay?" Goku said before he extended his arm for Lucia to hold onto. "Let's go." He said. Lucia was hesitant to go on the roof out of fear of falling down and breaking herself. Noticing Lucia's hesitation, Goku came closer to her.

"I won't let you go, I promise." Goku smiled, reassuring her. Lucia smiled as she trusted him completely. She grabbed onto Goku's arm and Goku immediately pulled her in his arms bridal style. Then he looked at the skies.

"FLYING NIMBUS!" He shouted before he jumped down from the roof, making Lucia scream and hold onto Goku tightly. Goku snickered childishly.

"See? That was easy." Goku said casually. Lucia then noticed a yellow dot in the sky. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape in amazement as she noticed a yellow cloud descending fast from the sky and stopping right in front of them.

"What is going on?" Nicole asked before she noticed Goku holding Lucia in his arms, followed by Madame Taki and Hippo, then soon after, Hanon and Rina. Goku dropped Lucia down gently on her feet.

"Lucia!" Nicole, Hippo, Hanon and Rina exclaimed, running towards Lucia and hugging her, immensely happy to see her outside the room. Lucia couldn't help but smile, but she was also regretful for making them worried like that. Goku and Taki merely smiled at seeing their lovely reunion.

"I'm sorry that I worried you, but Goku said he will take me for a ride." Lucia smiled before she looked at the cloud blankly. "Umm Goku, is that really your cloud?" She asked. Goku smiled brightly.

"Yeah, this is Flying Nimbus. Master Korin gave it to me while I was training with him." Goku asked casually. Taki was rather surprised at hearing this.

"Korin? You mean the keeper of the Sacred Tower of Korin?" Taki asked in amazement. She heard of the legend of how the great keeper of the tower granted untold strength to those who succeed in climbing all the way to the top, but she never believed it to be true. To believe that Goku succeeded… it was truly astounding.

"Uhh yeah." He said casually, like it was a normal thing to climb a ridiculously high tower and visit Korin. Nicole and the mermaid princesses never heard of this Korin, but if Madame Taki heard of it, it must be important.

"Goku, can I take a ride on it?" Hanon smiled, excited to try his cloud out.

"Sure, but you need to be pure of heart to ride it." Goku smiled, putting his hands on his hips.

"Oh please, I'm the prettiest and purest soul there is, just watch." Hanon flowed her hair before she stood up on the chair. Goku and Lucia chuckled nervously while sweat-dropping. To Goku, this is the same scenario with Bulma when she tried to ride on the cloud many years ago when they first met Master Roshi. Hanon was almost like Bulma when she said that. But as she tried to sit on the cloud, she fell through and landed on her butt with a thud, making the others laugh, much to her frustration.

"This dumb cloud has no taste for beautiful girls, doesn't it?" She spanked her butt to clean off the dust before she left with a huff while pouting. It was now Rina's turn to try.

"Okay, I'll give it a go now." Rina said before she too climbed on the chair. She jumped down on her feet before she too fell through the cloud. Goku and Lucia laughed hysterically, followed by Nicole and Hanon. Rina growled in frustration.

"Stupid cloud, it's useless anyway." Rina grumbled before she walked towards Hanon.

"So Lucia, wanna give it a try?" Goku asked her. Lucia was a little frightened to climb on the cloud, fearing she will only hurt herself if she tried. She shook her head in denial, but Goku placed her hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"I know you can do it, trust me." Goku said with a gentle smile, giving Lucia confidence to try. But Lucia climbed hesitantly on the chair before she looked at the cloud. She was hesitant to jump, but after a few seconds, she jumped. And to everyone's surprise, including Goku, Lucia actually landed on the cloud. Lucia opened her eyes to find sitting on Nimbus. She smiled brightly before she cheered, her hands in the air in pure joy.

"Yaaay, I did it! Woohoo, yeah!" Lucia cheered, immensely happy that she will get to ride with Goku. Hanon, Rina, Hippo, Nicole and Taki smiled. They were absolutely relieved to see their old cheerful Lucia back, but at the same time amazed at how she can sit on Goku's cloud. They couldn't have been more grateful to Goku then now.

"Alright, it's time to go." Goku jumped on the cloud, sitting behind Goku, making her blush heavily for being so close to him.

"Go!" Goku exclaimed, ordering Nimbus to move out. They moved at fast speed and departed into the open sea, while Lucia was laughing loudly, like she was on the roller coaster. Hanon, Rina, Nicole, Taki and even Hippo watched in amazement of those two departing on a cloud, no less.

"Well… Goku is full of surprises, isn't he?" Hanon said, dumbfounded.

"You can say that again." Rina said, just as amazed as Hanon. But soon they looked at each other and smiled. All they cared about was that Lucia was now happy again and now they can all sigh in relief that everything returned to normal. Knowing those two, they won't be returning anytime soon, so they departed to do their own business.

The cloud moved so fast that Lucia fell on Goku's chest behind him. Goku didn't really mind, as he was actually afraid a bit that she would fall off the cloud in front of him and this way, he wouldn't have to worry. Lucia snuggled on his chiseled chest before she stood upright moments later, the wind caressing her hair and face. She smiled brightly and was starting to laugh childishly, raising her hands in the air out of pure joy. Never in her wildest dreams she would have imagined to soar through the skies on a cloud with none other than Goku, but it actually came true. This is the best day she could have ever dreamed and she wouldn't trade it for anything.

Goku smiled widely at seeing Lucia so happy. He really hit the spot, the idea of riding the Flying Nimbus was brilliant. He never knew that Lucia was pure of heart like him, but then again, she was always so gentle and happy, there is no wonder why she could ride the cloud. He decided to take her to the most beautiful of places that he visited during his adventures.

They first soared through the large forest when they arrived to the shore. Lucia smiled brightly at the very sight, taking in her surroundings. Then they travelled through a large canyon that stretches for miles, taking in the scenery before them. It was nothing new for Goku, but for Lucia, it was like being in a dream. Then several minutes later, they were flying above a herd of wild buffalos. There were more or less a hundred of them. Lucia looked at the animals in amazement, she never saw a herd of buffalos before making a stampede like that.

Goku got nostalgia at seeing Lucia so amazed at everything she is seeing. That was his exact reaction when he first departed with Bulma to see the world and even the smallest of things amazed him, savoring each experience and taking nothing for granted.

Then Goku and Lucia travelled through a long mountain pass before they reached an enormous forest. Goku decided to dive through the trees. Lucia screamed, covering her face with her hands. But as they flew through the trees, Lucia emerged with a few leaves and twigs on her hair, while Goku emerged with a pile of apples in his hands and a two of them in his mouth. Lucia frowned at Goku, but seeing him holding all those apples and other two apples in his mouth, he looked so funny that she started to laugh hysterically. Goku swallowed the apples before he joined Lucia. Goku's hysteric laugh was so viral to Lucia that she laughed harder and louder. Goku was so glad to hear her laughs and giggles again, they always made his day.

Then several minutes later, they flew deeper into the forest before they saw a large lake in the distance. Goku took her to the cliff overlooking the lake down below, with the waterfall from the other side. It was the perfect place to jump down if they decide to swim. Not too far to jump and it looks really nice. Goku descended with the cloud, so Lucia could jump down.

"There we go." Goku said before he too jumped down with a pile of apples, placing them near the tree overlooking the cliff down below. The cloud returned to the skies, waiting to be summoned again.

"Wow Goku, this place is so beautiful." Lucia said cheerfully with a childish expression, absorbing the wonder before her. She couldn't describe at how beautiful it is. The trees, the waterfall, the lake below them. It was really like being in a dream she hoped she would never awake from. Goku smiled at her.

"It is, isn't it? This is one of many places that I found while I was looking for my grandpas Dragon Ball." He smiled while leaning on the tree, placing his hands behind him. Lucia turned her attention to Goku curiously.

"Really? I thought you always had that Dragon Ball." Lucia said, sitting right next to Goku.

"Not really. Some bad guys in the past tried to use the Dragon Balls and after the wish was made, they scattered throughout the world. I had no idea where exactly was the four star ball, so I had to look for every Dragon ball to find it." Goku smiled.

"Can you tell me what was the wish that those bad guys made?" Lucia asked with an innocent expression. Goku chuckled childishly. Just by remembering that wish makes him laugh to no end.

"Actually, it was my friend Oolong who made the wish. He wished for…" He tried to contain his laughter, but it was slowly starting to eat him out from the inside. "… He wished for a pair of underwear!" He exclaimed while laughing hysterically, rolling on the floor. But Lucia's reaction was completely different.

"A pair… of under...wear?" Lucia's face was as red as tomato out of pure embarrassment. That guy Oolong must be a major pervert for wishing for something like that. Lucia looked at Goku and frowned, still rolling on the grass, laughing loudly. She punched him on the shoulder.

"Stop laughing Goku, that is not funny at all!" Lucia exclaimed, scolding him. But Goku couldn't stop laughing.

"I can't help it Lucia, that was a really stupid wish." Goku said in between his laughs. Lucia couldn't help but laugh with him, his laugh was just too viral to resist. After a good while, Goku stopped laughing, wiping a few tears from his eyes.

Then Goku leaned again on the tree, with Lucia snuggling on his chest. Goku was a little startled at first, but he returned the affection by placing his hand on her waist. Lucia blushed a bit, but also smiled that Goku was not a lost case when it comes to romance. But it wasn't until she heard a loud chewing that she looked up at Goku eating an apple with great delight. Lucia rolled her eyes in amusement, typical Goku. But Goku took another apple and offered it to Lucia.

"You want some? They taste great." Goku offered. Lucia couldn't deny the offer as she gladly took the apple.

"Thank you." Lucia smiled, chewing on the apple one bit at the time.

Goku then explained to her the second wish that was made with the Dragon Balls and the events before that. He told her that after he found his grandpas Dragon Ball, a world assassin known as Mercenary Tao, hired by the Red Ribbon Army, came to take the Dragon ball, along with the other balls from him. But his friend and guardian of Korin's tower, Bora, died fighting the mercenary. Completely overpowered by the notorious assassin, Goku climbed Korin's tower in order to gain the necessary strength to defeat him. It took a whole day to climb up the tower, but little Goku finally made it. He met with the keeper of the tower, Korin himself. He was surprised that he was actually a cat, but a quick one to boot. After he tried to drink the Sacred Water, Korin took it from him and said that he can only drink it if he takes it from him. It took him three long and hard days to take the bottle from him, but he succeeded, drinking from the bottle, only to find out that it was just a plain tap water. Korin explained that his physical attributes have already increased tremendously from just trying to take the bottle from him. Goku was thankful to Korin for everything he did for him and he descended to meet with Upa, Bora's son, gaining extra strength from climbing down the tower.

Half an hour later, Mercenary Tao arrived again to finish what he started. But Tao was caught completely off guard as Goku was now far stronger then he was three days ago. Tao used every trick in the book to defeat him, but nothing worked. He faced defeat at the hands of a child, but not before he climbed Korin's tower himself to drink from the Sacred Water, seeing its amazing result in a child, like Goku. While Goku was waiting for Tao to come back, the assassin climber all the way up to the top after a whole day. Korin gave him a glass of tap water, lying that it was the Sacred Water. Tao realized this after he drank from the glass and was again unsuccessful of destroying the pillar with his Dodon Ray after his initial attempt before he drank from the glass. Korin quickly destroyed the pillar before Tao dropped the jug on Upa from above. Now convinced he was stronger, he descended to kill Goku on Korin's Dark Nimbus. Korin didn't want Tao to be stronger then he already was, so he gave him the cloud so his strength would be the same. As an extra measure, he waved his staff and Tao fell through the cloud and on the ground with a hard crash, leaving a small crater and damaging him a bit.

The battle between Goku and Mercenary Tao continued. Believing he was stronger, Tao proceeded to pummel Goku, one crushing blow after another. But Goku soon got up, shrugging his attacks by cleaning off his uniform, complementing the assassin that he was almost as strong as him. Then Goku went for the finish as he threw a barrage of punches and kicks at him. Now facing certain defeat, Tao grew desperate as he begged for forgiveness, only to pull a grenade from his pocket as a last ditch effort to kill Goku. But Goku kicked the grenade back to Tao, exploding and consuming him in fire, finishing him off for good.

Then, after he laid siege to the Red Ribbon Army headquarters and took the two Dragon Balls from them, he travelled to an old lady named Fortuneteller Baba, where she revealed to him the whereabouts of the last Dragon Ball after defeating all of her warriors. The last warrior, unknown to Goku at the time, was his deceased grandfather Gohan, though he was silent about that detail, so he wouldn't scare Lucia about meeting with a dead person. After he defeated Pilaf and his gang and took the final Dragon ball, he told her of the wish that was made the second time. He told her that the wish they made was to revive Upa's father, Bora. Upa was immensely happy to have his father back. But before the Dragon balls scattered again, he caught the four star ball. It turned to stone, but after a full year, they will regenerate and can be used again, though Goku didn't care at all for the wishes as he only needed the four star ball.

Lucia was completely amazed at hearing his story. It was like a fairytale of a sort. But her heart melted by his noble deed. Fighting an entire army and a powerful assassin, just to revive his friend's father. She grew even more in love with him after realizing that not only was he a powerful warrior, but also a gentle and noble soul. Goku and Lucia stayed for a good while before they departed to other places around the world.

After witnessing the wonders of the wild along the way, they visited the city where they would take a break from all the adventures so far. He was surprised to find Chin Taiken of the Chin-Star school, a martial artist who Goku helped years ago to fight against the Sky Dragon for the title of Martial Arts Master. He was also the man that he taught from The Phantom-Star technique, a variation of the Afterimage technique that he often uses. He was also glad to see his son, Shoken, who had grown since last he saw him. They had a good talk for a while, Goku even asked if Sky Dragon or Rising Dragon are making any trouble in all these years, joking that he will keep then in line for him if they do. He told him that they left to travel the world, taking a break from training for a while, which surprised Goku a bit.

Lucia smiled as she watched Goku talk with Chin. She didn't know that Goku made friends along the way, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She also talked with them, but they didn't had much to talk about, since she had to be silent about her mermaid heritage and she wasn't a martial artist herself.

After they bid their farewells, Goku and Lucia departed on Nimbus, travelling again to wondrous places. While they were travelling, Goku accidentally flew across a very familiar valley. They flew across the mountains and forests that were also familiar. Moments later did he realize that they were flying across his home in Mount Paozu. Goku smiled as he was glad to visit his home again, but this time he came with Lucia. The blonde girl was astounded by the beauty of his home.

"Wow, it's amazing how beautiful this valley is." Lucia said cheerfully, looking left and right to absorb the surroundings.

"Well, it's good to be home again after all these years." Goku smiled, looking at the valley below him.

"This is where you live?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Yup. In this very valley my grandpa found me when I was a baby. Since then, I have been living here for years until Bulma came along to find the Dragon balls." Goku said.

"You are really lucky to live in such a wonderful place." Lucia smiled. In a way, this mountain valley reminded of her home in North Pacific. The soothing atmosphere of this valley makes her feel completely relaxed and in peace, which was something that is not often happening.

"Thanks. I'll show you my home first, then we can go and catch some fish." Goku smiled. Lucia nodded in agreement. Then the two of them flied to Goku's old home not far from their current location. After they have arrived, Lucia was rather surprised at how modestly build it was. It was a small stone hut, with blue roof and double doors. When Goku entered the hut, it was pretty dusty after years of no maintenance. He opened the doors wide and the window from his left for some fresh air. Goku looked left and right around his home.

"Well, it seems everything looks the same the day I left." Goku smiled. Lucia entered the hut to find modest furniture inside. It was a little cramped, but Goku lived by himself here, along with his grandfather, so it was no wonder why it is so small. Still, she smiled at how their life styles were so different. This was rather welcoming for her, as she was a little tired of royal life, having all those servants at your neck all the time, the enormous hallways where you can easily lose yourself. She felt at home when she came here. So peaceful where the only sounds you hear are those of nature. She envied a little of Goku's modest life style. She wished they switched at least for a day, so she would enjoy the luxuries of peace. But, she dreamed that one day she would marry with Goku and live here together.

"It's so pretty in here. This is where you lived when you were a child?" Lucia smiled. Goku nodded in response.

"Yeah. I wish I could come back here, but since I'm stuck at school, I have to stay in South City until I finish it." Goku chuckled light-heartedly. Lucia suddenly looked at the floor sadly, believing he said that so he would run away from everyone, even her. Goku immediately started to rephrase himself.

"Uhm, what I meant to say was that even though classes are boring, I love to hang out in school with my friends. Hanging out with you is a lot of fun too. But I simply love to live here, since it's so peaceful and quiet, which was something I grew to like when I was a kid." He corrected himself. Lucia didn't really mind his statement of living here. If she were to choose, she would have lived with him here in the mountains, away from all the troubles and obligations.

"I would have loved to live here too." Lucia smiled, standing next to Goku with a loving look on her face. Goku also smiled.

"Now, what do you say we go and get some fish? I'm starving." Goku said before he departed outside. Lucia sweat-dropped that he ruined an emotional moment, but then again it's no surprise. His stomach was like a bottomless pit after all. She merely shook her head in amusement as she followed Goku.

Then they reached the river where all the enormous Tuna fishes are. He took his clothes off, jumping in with nothing but his boxers, much to Lucia's embarrassment, as she blushed heavily. Goku caught a very large Tuna fish, to which Lucia applauded and cheered. Then the two of them headed back to his home to cook the fish and eat it. They were talking for hours about their travels from today and laughing while they were cooking the fish. It was now an afternoon, it took a good while for the fish to fry, but it was finally done. Lucia could barely eat a portion of that fish, while Goku munched on pretty much the rest of the giant fish. Lucia sweat-dropped as she watched at how Goku is devouring the fish without stopping a second to catch his breath. She slowly started to eat a slice Goku gave her on the plate, since she doesn't eat nearly as much as Goku. After a while, he was finally done, burping loudly while rubbing his stomach in delight, leaving nothing but bones from that Tuna fish he ate.

* * *

After Goku locked the hut, he and Lucia departed from his mountain home and flied back to South City, to the Pearl Hotel. They were flying slowly, savoring every moment they share together before they reach the city. The night soon feel and they arrived at Lucia's home at the hotel. Goku descended on the beach behind the hotel for Lucia to land. Lucia turned around playfully and smiled brightly.

"I had a wonderful time, Goku. I can't thank you enough for taking me to all those wonderful places." Lucia smiled, giving Goku a loving look. Goku grinned widely as he jumped from Nimbus.

"No problem, I had a lot of fun too." Goku said, getting closer to Lucia.

"We should go again on Nimbus and visit the other places." Lucia said excitedly. Goku's heart melted at seeing Lucia so happy. She gave him the brightest smile that a happy girl can give. This day was certainly the one to remember, he enjoyed every moment alone he had with Lucia when they were visiting canyons, mountains, waterfalls and other wonders of the wild, even his home in Mount Paozu. As for Lucia, she will never forget this day. She even forgot completely about what Aqua Regina did, being so immensely happy that she spent the entire day alone with no one but Goku by her side.

"Sure." Goku nodded. He then remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot, I have a present for you." He said, pulling out a Dynocap from his shirt. Lucia gasped with joy, Goku actually remembered to buy her a birthday present. She waited anxiously for Goku to reveal her present. Goku clicked on the capsule and threw it away from the two, popping in smoke and revealing a large chest that contained a present inside. He pulled it out and gave it to her.

"Here, it's for you. Sorry that the birthday present is running late, but I thought I would give it to you anyway." Goku grinned sheepishly, a little embarrassed that he didn't leave the present to her as soon as he got it. Lucia smiled and gladly took the present from him. She was on the verge to cry out of joy from everything that happened to her today. She immediately opened the present to find that there was a pink uniform inside. As she pulled out the contents of the present, she squealed cutely at how he actually gave her his fighting uniform, only the pants and shirt were pink and undershirt, wristbands, sash and boots were dark blue, with no weights on them. It was basically the same present he wanted to give her before it was burned and since he had no other ideas for a birthday present, he went for the same thing. The uniform had a hibiscus flower on the back, just to add a little touch. Lucia hugged the pink shirt out of gratitude.

"Oh, and there is something else." Goku then pulled out of his pocket a Dragon Ball keychain that he ordered from Bulma. It had four stars on it and he thought it was the perfect present for Lucia, aside from his uniform.

"Oh thank you Goku. These are the best birthday presents I ever had." Lucia smiled lovingly at Goku. He snickered childishly, glad that she liked it.

"Sure, no problem." Goku gave her a wide toothy grin. Then his stomach started to growl, making Lucia giggle sweetly. Goku rubbed the back of his head bashfully, chuckling nervously.

"I guess I got a little hungry from all that flying. I guess I'll see ya tomorrow at school." Goku waved goodbye before he hopped on his Nimbus again.

"Bye Lucia!" Goku exclaimed as he made his way back home, waving to Lucia.

"Bye Goku, see ya tomorrow!" Lucia exclaimed, waving her hands in the air cheerfully. She then looked at her shirt again, tears of joy starting to form in her eyes as she closed her eyes and hugged the shirt.

" _I love you, Goku. Even if you don't know who I am, I still want to be with you. Forever."_ Lucia thought. After several minutes of daydreaming about her Goku and a wonderful time she had with him, she packed the uniform and put a keychain in her pocket, leaving inside the hotel into her room. She greeted Madame Taki and Nicole before she went to her room. Nicole, Hippo and Taki smiled at each other, so glad to see their old Lucia back.

As soon as Lucia entered the room, she found Hanon and Rina waiting for her. Hanon got up excitedly and ran straight to Lucia.

"Alright Lucia, spill the details, what did you and Goku did all day? Where have you been? Where did he take you?" Hanon spoke fast that Lucia barely understood her. But Hanon was so excited to hear the romantic flight with Goku and she wanted to hear every little detail. But Lucia blushed heavily as she sat down on her chair.

"Come on Lucia, tell us. What were you two doing whole day?" Rina teased also, making Lucia blush even more.

"Stop teasing me, you two, you are embarrassing me!" Lucia squealed in mixture of happiness and embarrassment, hugging the present Goku gave her, blushing immensely.

"Lucia, what is that present? Was that from Goku?" Hanon asked impatiently.

"Yeah, it's the uniform that he gave me. It looks exactly like his, only its pink." Lucia smiled brightly, showing a pink shirt with hibiscus flower on the back.

"Wow, it looks so cute. Try it on, I wanna see it!" Hanon said excitedly.

"Okay!" Lucia said cheerfully before she darted to change her clothes. Hanon sat next to Rina, who was also happy for Lucia.

"Well, that's definitely our old Lucia. Goku has really outdone himself this time." Rina smiled. She was so glad to see their cheerful Lucia again and she thanked Goku immensely for that.

"Definitely, Lucia is beaming with joy." Hanon smiled brightly. Then moments later, Lucia came out wearing her uniform. She was almost a splitting image of Goku, in personality and in clothes.

"What do you think?" Lucia smiled brightly, turning around to show off her clothes. Then she tried to imitate a few punches and kicks that she saw from Goku, though she was a little clumsy when she tried to kick, making Hanon and Rina laugh a bit. Lucia pouted from their laughing.

"Wow Lucia, you two are really made for each other." Hanon said in between laughs.

"Yeah, you could train with Goku now that he gave you a fighting uniform." Rina smiled, also laughing a bit. Lucia blushed heavily, her face was like a tomato.

"Stop teasing me!" Lucia squealed cutely, making Hanon and Rina laugh even louder. Lucia also joined their hysteric laughter.

Then, an hour later, the three of them had a sleepover in Lucia's room. Lucia told Hanon and Rina of all the places that she and Goku visited and how it was like a dream of flying on a cloud with Goku by her side. She told them how they visited a beautiful lake, then numerous mountains, canyons, deserts, valleys and even several cities while they were taking a break. They even visited his home in Mount Paozu, which was really beautiful. Hanon found the story so romantic, daydreaming about soaring through the skies with Taro and kissing along the way, much to Lucia's and Rina's amusement. Then after a while, the three of them fell asleep, resting for another day.

* * *

The next day, while they were taking a shortcut through the sea to get to the restaurant near the beach, they encountered Izure along the way. The three mermaids easily dispatched the lone water demon, now that they are fighting together as one again.

"As long as the three of us are together, there is nothing to be afraid of." Lucia said, raising her pink ring of friendship in the air, with Hanon and Rina doing the same. They laughed happily at their victory and of their unbreakable bond.

But, even though izure retreated from the battle, she noticed the three rings that were shining on their fingers. She believed that they possess some kind of power that allows the mermaids to fight more easily against them. Then she waited for her opportunity to strike.

Later that day, Lucia, Hanon and Rina made their way to the restaurant on the beach. When they arrived, they were soon wearing work uniforms consisting of roller skates, blue tight shorts and white t-shirts with respective colors.

"I don't get it. If we are the customers, why do we have to wear clothes like this?" Rina frowned, a little confused by this awkward predicament.

"Well, the truth is, we are not the customers." Lucia chuckled nervously, sweating a bit nervously. She explained to them how she went to speak with the owner of the restaurant, Maki-san. She even had flashbacks of those events.

 _To Lucia's great surprise, Goku was there too. She didn't know the exact reason why he was here, but she will soon find out._

" _Hello, are you there? Hello?" Maki was on the phone, but no one answered. He ended the phone call and put his phone on the table._

" _What is it, Maki?" Goku asked curiously with blank expression._

" _Well, the restaurant will be opening tomorrow and I realized that I need more people to work." Maki frowned slightly, a little concerned that his business will crumble soon without available workers. Then Goku smiled._

" _Don't worry, my friends and I can help you out, if you want." Goku suggested. Maki smiled at the offer._

" _That would be great Goku." Maki smiled._

" _It's the least we can do for giving us all that delicious food." Goku smiled brightly, rubbing his stomach. Lucia sweat dropped and silently face palmed herself. She should have known that something simple as that would buy Goku's loyalty. But then again, his simplicity is one of the reasons she fell for him in the first place. Maki smiled at Goku's kind-hearted nature. He merely offered free food once for him and his friends and it seems that he didn't take it for granted, which is something he appreciates the most from him._

 _Lucia soon composed herself and smiled._

" _We will help too. My two friends and I will gladly help you out." Lucia also suggested, much to Maki's surprise._

" _But aren't the three of you on summer vacation? Are you certain you want to work as well?" Maki asked. Even though help is what he needs, he will not gain it from someone who will work by force._

" _Absolutely, we will gladly work voluntarily for you." Lucia said cheerfully. Goku smiled at her offer, that would mean he would have fun at work too, which is something that he is actually looking forward to. Maki smiled at her suggestion._

" _I understand. In that case, what do you say that I will put you to work for three days? By that time, I should be able to find adequate replacements." Maki smiled._

" _Great!" Goku and Lucia said cheerfully._

" _It's not much, but in return, I will reserve for you a terrace where you can have an excellent view of the fireworks. Sounds good?" Maki smiled. Goku and Lucia smiled widely at the offer._

" _Wonderful." Lucia said cheerfully._

" _Awesome!" Goku said excitedly. Both of them loved to watch fireworks and this is the perfect opportunity for them to see the fireworks from the front row. Though to Goku, he could easily take Flying Nimbus and take any spot he seems fit, but a good view from the restaurant sounds like a good idea._

"And that's pretty much it." Lucia explained. Rina sighed slightly in frustration.

"Unbelievable. Who told you that you can accept something for us?" Rina turned her attention to Hanon. "I understand why did Lucia accept, but I never expected that from you."

"I don't like when people are in trouble. And there is another reason." She said. Then her eyes sparked with stars by her sudden imagination. "The spot where we will watch the fireworks will be the perfect opportunity to get close to Taro. I can't wait." Hanon said excitedly. Rina face palmed as he couldn't bear hearing that kind of answer.

"This is truly unbearable." Rina sighed in slight frustration, but it didn't faze Hanon a bit.

"Come on Rina, you really don't know the meaning of true love." Hanon smiled brightly, having an imagination of watching the fireworks with Taro, exchanging a few compliments before leaning closer to kiss each other.

"Oh, I asked Nicole about your summer kimono and it seems she made it for you. So, will you help us?" Lucia asked.

"No thanks." Rina said simply. But Lucia will not back down.

"You have to, we need to stick together. Please Rina." Then she smiled brightly. "It would be fun if the three of us worked together and watch the fireworks. Don't be like that."

Rina sighed deeply. She knew there is no arguing with Lucia, she is sometimes too stubborn.

"Alright, but only until fireworks, okay?" Rina said hesitantly. Lucia beamed with joy.

"Yeah, I can't wait! You made the right decision, Rina." Lucia smiled. She was anxious to commence their work with the three of them together.

Sometime later that day, many guests have already arrived, filling the restaurant to the brim. The three mermaids were rather surprised at the number of people that arrived. They had to be quick with delivering the orders that the guests made.

"So that's why he told us to put on the roller skates." Lucia said to herself. She then noticed Rina how she delivers the drinks so nimbly with those roller skates, much to her amazement.

"Sorry for the wait." Rina said.

"Rina is so cool." Lucia said, watching Rina work. Hanon approached near Lucia.

"Well, she has a better coordination, unlike some others I could name." Hanon narrowed her eyes in annoyance. Lucia pouted by her statement.

"What do you mean, 'some others'?" Lucia complained.

Meanwhile, Rina was delivering a bottle of wine to a very large man with a blue martial arts uniform on him. He had a short hair and grumpy face.

"Thanks, sweet cheeks." The large man said, taking the wine and drinking it. Rina gritted her teeth by that remark.

"What did you call me?" Rina frowned. This made the man stop his drinking, leaning in closer to her.

"I called you "sweet cheeks." Got a problem with that?" He grinned, in a slightly drunken state. Rina just ignored his remark, not wanting to start a fight with the man, despite his large stature. She got back to the bar to get the next order, near Lucia and Rina.

"Wow, that man looks scary. What did he tell you, Rina?" Lucia asked. Rina merely stayed silent as she didn't want to go into that. If she did, she would have probably started a losing fight with the large man. Hanon elbowed Lucia to deliver the order she is holding in her hands.

"Lucia, is anyone waiting for that order?" Hanon asked. Lucia panicked slightly as she was holding drinks in her hands the whole time.

"Oh yeah, I better go, right." Lucia said quickly before she delivered those drinks. Hanon shook her head in annoyance, typical Lucia. She soon delivered the drinks to the girls waiting for them.

"Sorry for the delay." Lucia apologized before she went back to the bar. "Now to see what is Goku doing." She said. But Goku was standing at the entrance doors with two large boxes in his hands to deliver inside the pantry, but was surrounded by five girls who flirted with him. He was oblivious to their advances, as he was just being polite with them, laughing nervously.

"Oh my, you are so strong." A blonde girl said flirtatiously.

"Can I have your phone number?" A brunette girl asked. Goku didn't know how to send them away without insulting them. Then his face went slightly blue and he sweated nervously at noticing Lucia coming with an angry pout on her face. She nudged them while passing through, much to the girl's annoyance.

"Well Goku, I see that you are very busy. Who would have time for chit-chat?" Lucia gave Goku a fake smile.

"Yeah, I need to deliver these boxes. Gotta go, see ya!" Goku chuckled nervously and quickly made his way to deliver the boxes he had, so he could avoid Lucia's wrath. Lucia huffed as she came to the bar to take the bowls of rice and deliver it to the guests.

"What a jerk." Lucia said to herself as she delivered the order.

"See ya again, Goku." One of the girls called out for him flirtatiously, making Lucia turn her attention and lose her balance, falling down on the floor and dropping the bowls on the floor.

"Darn it!" Lucia cursed herself for being so clumsy. Hanon and Rina helped her to get up.

"What's got into you?" Hanon asked, curious but a little annoyed by her clumsiness. Rina gave her a hand to get up.

"Thank you." Lucia said. Goku noticed that Lucia fell down and he went to check her out.

"Hey Lucia, what happened?" Goku asked out of slight concern.

"So now you are worried for me, huh?" Lucia pouted, folding her arms, not turning her attention to him.

"What do you mean?" Goku raised his eyebrow in confusion, not knowing where she is going with that question.

"Why don't you go and flirt with those girls from before? Apparently, you don't care if I get hurt." Lucia frowned at him. She knew that's a lie, Goku does care for her, but sometimes her stubbornness gets the better of her.

"Come on, you know that's not true." Goku smiled, trying to cheer her up.

"It's not, huh? Then why did you avoid me when I came over the entrance doors? You wanted to flirt with those girls without me knowing?" Lucia frowned, starting an argument. Hanon shook her head, while Rina facepalmed. Lucia can be so stubborn sometimes and she is always so jealous whenever the girls are around Goku. It's not his fault that he is popular.

"No, I was just trying to move some boxes inside, but those girls blocked the way. I didn't want to be rude, so that's why I didn't send them away." Goku explained, though it didn't help to calm Lucia down.

"So, you admit that you have been flirting with them?!" Lucia exclaimed in a sad tone, the jealousy starting to consume her. But Goku merely sighed in defeat and slight frustration, knowing that this is not going anywhere and Maki needs help around the restaurant.

"Look, Maki needs our help around here, we don't have time to be goofing around. If you really wanna argue, then do it after work. Now let's get a move on." Goku said in a slightly serious tone, a little frustrated that Lucia is making a fuss again for no reason. He didn't want to be rude to Lucia, but sometimes she can be so stubborn. He then departed to get more boxes from the truck that Maki drove in.

"Goku." Lucia said in a sad tone. Yet again, she let the jealousy get the better of her and now she feels bad about it. Rina looked at her out of concern. Even though she knew Lucia can be stubborn, she didn't deserve that kind of treatment.

Later in the afternoon that day, Lucia, Hanon and Rina departed home after a hard day of work.

"Lucia, why don't you just forget about him? He is just a heartless punch jockey." Rina frowned.

"Don't be so harsh on him, Rina. Lucia was kind of stubborn back there." Hanon defended Goku, though Rina was not convinced.

"Maybe, but he is such a slow learner. Plus, I don't believe for a second that he is _that_ good." Rina said, a little skeptical of Goku's behavior when it comes to girls.

"I don't wanna hear it anymore!" Lucia exclaimed suddenly from behind Hanon and Rina. Lucia knew fully well what kind of person Goku is and she has no need of their false accusations. Sure he is slow, but he is far from being a cheater or anything of a sort. It was her fault that she was so stubborn and jealous.

"Lucia." Hanon said simply.

"I'm going to apologize to him." Lucia said before she ran back to the restaurant to meet up with Goku. Rina sighed slightly in disappointment.

"I don't understand her, she only needs to forget about him. It can't be that hard." Rina said. Hanon frowned at Rina.

"You really are harsh on him, are you?" Hanon said.

"No, I am not. I just don't believe for a second that a popular guy like him would not flirt with a girl behind Lucia's back." Rina explained.

"Goku would never do something like that. He took Lucia on his cloud around the world, that's not something that he would do to any girl, now would he?" Hanon said. Rina remained silent, because Hanon had a point there. "Besides, I think its love that prevents Lucia from leaving him. Even when things don't turn out the way you do, you find the way to get around the problem and move on. Much like Lucia and Goku." She then turned her attention to Rina. "The true love is when you are ready to forgive and love again." She said, believing in every word she said, because she too is a victim of true love. Rina stayed silent, pondering on her words.

The night fell and Rina took a shower in her home. She sat on her bed with nothing but towel strapped around her, drinking a bottle of water, having flashbacks of Lucia's sad expression before she went to apologize to Goku. Then she remembered Hanon's words.

" _The true love is when you are ready to forgive and love again." Hanon said._

She was deep in the thought about it. She didn't mean to be too hard on Goku. He proved that he was not only a skilled fighter and a powerful warrior, but also a dear and kind friend. Though she was true to her words of Goku being a cheater. She simply can't believe that someone as popular as him would not try to flirt with all those girls that swarm around him. He is definitely not Kaito in that regard, but he is not so innocent either, by her belief.

"Love, huh? I don't understand it at all. If that's what love is, I don't want it." Rina said sternly to herself. Then she took the remote and turned on the TV. It was a comedy show that Rina usually watches, but was yet again disappointed.

"Ugh, the timing of this show is bad, as usual." Rina said casually. But while Rina was watching the show, she was slowly drifting in a deep slumber. It wasn't long until she was completely asleep. She was so tired that she didn't bother to put on her pajamas, leaving the green towel on her for the rest of the night.

* * *

The next day, Rina awoke suddenly from her sleep.

"Oh man, I must have fallen asleep." Rina said. Then she began to sneeze and sniff. "Great, looks like I caught a cold." She said to herself. But she wouldn't let a common cold stop her from going to work.

An hour later, Lucia, Hanon and Rina came to work again at Maki's restaurant.

"Wow, there are sure a lot of people today, a lot more then yesterday." Lucia said to herself, not expecting to be so much work at once. But Rina was a different case today. The cold has gotten worse as she started to feel dizzy, her temperature steadily rising, her vision a bit blurry and almost losing her balance. She leaned on the wall next to the pantry that Goku delivers the goods. Goku noticed that Rina was in a bad state. He went over to check on her.

"Hey Rina, are you okay?" Goku asked, frowning slightly.

"I'm fine, Goku." Rina frowned. She almost lost her balance and fall down on the back, but Goku caught her. He was slightly surprised at how warm Rina's arms were.

"Are you sure? Why are you so warm?" Goku asked in a slight concern, but Rina got a little irritated from his persistence.

"I said I'm fine!" Rina exclaimed before she went to deliver a large wine. Goku looked at Rina and frowned slightly.

"She is not fine." Goku said to himself. He felt that her hands were so hot, like she was on the sun for too long. He also noticed that she is kind of clumsy today, tilting left and right. She was not herself today and Goku noticed.

Rina was about to make her delivery, but a very large man from yesterday caught her by her hand.

"Hey, you, sweet cheeks. How about you find me a table where I can have some wine? And maybe a little something extra for insulting me yesterday." He pulled her closer to him, but she would have none of that.

"Let me go, you big buffoon." Rina frowned, trying to free herself from his large grip. The other guests, including Lucia, Hanon and Goku turned their attention to him. Goku frowned as he recognized the man. He is a Rising Dragon, brother of Sky Dragon. He was a brute that Goku fought before he fought his brother in the tournament. He was rather surprised he would come here of all places to pick on people.

"What did you say, you little wench? Ill snap you like a twig." Rising dragon bellowed, raising his fist in the air and ready to punch Rina.

"Rina!" Lucia and Hanon called out for her. Goku frowned as he disappeared in a blur to save Rina. Rising Dragon was about to punch Rina, but in a split second, she disappeared. Goku carried Rina in his arms and he put her down near the bar. He then stood up to face the Rising Dragon.

"Hey, what's your problem? Leave Rina alone." Goku frowned, clenching his fists. Rina actually blushed a bit at how he is defending her like that. It's a completely new sensation for her that is a little frightening for her.

"Huh, and who are you, little punk? You want to challenge me?" Rising Dragon said, ready to fight the spiky haired idiot. But Goku ignored his challenge, as he wanted to settle this without causing collateral damage.

"No, I don't want to fight with you, but I am going to ask you to leave." Goku said in a serious tone. He knew he will not be a challenge at all, so he decided to go for a more diplomatic approach, unless he really insists to fight him.

"Why you cocky…" Rising Dragon got angry now as he tried to punch Goku, but he dodges his attacks effortlessly. He decided to take the fight outside, so no one would get hurt by this drunken buffoon. Rising Dragon continued with his attacks, but Goku nimbly dodged them.

"Cut it out." Goku said, annoyed about his futile attacks. He knew that he wasn't himself, he was acting so weird. But Rising Dragon continued with his assault, one punch and kick after another, but Goku effortlessly dodged his attacks.

The guests from the restaurant, along with the other people outside gathered around to watch their fight. Lucia, Hanon and Rina pushed through the crowd to also witness Goku's brawl. Even though Lucia knew that this will be easy for Goku, she was still concerned for him.

"Hold still, so I can crush you!" Rising Dragon shouted as he tried to punch Goku, but to no avail. Then Goku disappeared, he looked around for him, but nothing.

"Over here." Goku laughed childishly with a toothy grin. The crowd also started to laugh as Goku was starting to fool around. Rising Dragon realized that he was starting to make fun of him, making him even angrier.

"No one makes a fool out of me." Rising Dragon said as he tried to punch him again, but Goku keep disappearing.

"Wohoo!" Goku said. The big brute turned to punch him again, but nothing.

"Back here!" Goku said. Rising Dragon repeatedly tried to punch him, but he keeps disappearing. But after a short time of having fun, he decided to finish the fight and get back to work.

"Alright, time to end this." Goku said to himself. But before he could deliver the finishing blow, someone appeared from behind Rising Dragon.

"That's enough." Another familiar voice said. Goku looked at the man which was none other than Sky Dragon. He frowned in disappointment at his sibling.

"Hello brother." Rising Dragon said nervously. Sky Dragon merely slapped him many times before he spoke.

"Can't I leave you for five minutes without you causing trouble? Is it too much to ask to stay put until I come back?" Sky Dragon scolded his brother.

"I'm sorry, brother." Rising Dragon said, a little regretful of embarrassing himself and his brother. Sky Dragon then turned his attention to Goku.

"Please forgive us Goku. My brother can be very grumpy when he drinks a lot." Sky Dragon bowed in respect. He didn't forget about Goku at all. After all, he fought in Chin's name and defeated him. By losing the match, he changed his way of life and he was thankful to Goku for that.

"Sure, no problem. I see you turned a new leaf ever since we fought." Goku smiled, glad that he changed for the better.

"And you seem to be a lot stronger then the last time we met. I wouldn't mind having a little sparring match with you the next time we meet." Sky Dragon smiled. Goku laughed light-heartedly.

"Yeah, of course, should be fun." Goku said. Even though he knew they were nowhere near his current strength, he would love to fight them, just for fun. Sky Dragon smiled before he turned his attention to Rising Dragon.

"We are leaving, brother." Sky Dragon said before he turned his attention to Goku. "Farewell Goku, until we meet again." He bowed in respect before he departed. Goku did the same before he waved them farewell.

"Sure. See ya." Goku waved them goodbye before they departed. Sky Dragon scolded his brother along the way for being so reckless. Then Goku slowly made his way inside the restaurant to get back to work. The guests returned inside as well, while the crowd from the outside departed to do their own business. Goku turned his attention to Lucia and Hanon, who congratulated him on his victory.

"Nice work Goku, you really showed him." Hanon congratulated. Goku rubbed the back of his head, snickering childishly.

"Nah, I didn't win. Though it was fun while it lasted." Goku said light-heartedly. Goku, Lucia and Hanon laughed before they returned inside together. But he noticed that Rina was gone. He then went to check if she was alright.

Rina ran away in the locker room as soon as the fight was over, fighting the blush and this mushy feeling she felt in her heart, having flashbacks of Goku's broad back and shoulders, standing in front of her to fight the Rising Dragon, and the next one being his typical smile he gave her. Her heart fluttered by Goku's bravery, but she tried to deny this feeling she is experiencing right now.

"Something's wrong with me, this isn't me. It must be the fever. Yes, I have a temperature, I'm not well." Rina said to herself, breathing with difficulty and banging her head on the wall, but not hard enough to hurt herself. She was trying to suppress this feeling that she keeps denying on having, believing that the fever was to blame.

"A fever?" Goku asked, overhearing her mumbling with his enhanced hearing. Rina turned her attention to him the moment he came in. "So that's why you don't look well. Why don't you call it for a day and get some rest?" Goku smiled gently. Rina blushed as Goku got closer, but she looked away from him to hide her embarrassment.

"I'm fine, Goku, don't worry about me." Rina said.

"No, you are not Rina, you almost fainted that time before I fought that big guy. Why don't you go home and rest? I'll tell Lucia and Hanon that you had to go." Goku said, a little concerned for her health. He knew of that disease since he had to take care of his grandpa Gohan when he got a fever one day. He knew if she were not to rest right now, her condition will only get worse.

"No, don't tell them. Then they will just get worried for nothing." Rina said in a serious tone, but also fighting the blush she had. Goku was confused by her request.

"Why not? They might help you out." Goku asked. But Rina frowned, wanting nothing more in that moment then for him to be gone.

"I said I'll be fine, Goku. Now go. And please keep that to yourself." Rina said. Goku looked at her blankly before he decided to leave her alone. Though he was still a little concerned for the fever.

"Ok, I won't tell them." Goku nodded in agreement, chuckling slightly. "But under one condition, that you go home now and take a break for the day, so that the fever might pass, ok?" Goku smiled with a typical goofy grin. Rina blushed again, this time heavily, though she quickly turned her attention again, so she could hide her embarrassment.

"Sure." Rina said simply. Goku looked at her blankly, a little confused on why she is so red, but he did snicker childishly a little at seeing Rina so embarrassed, which made her blush even more. He though that Lucia was the only one who looked funny when she is all red like that, but even Rina is funny too. He soon returned to his chores, leaving Rina alone to prepare to go home.

Later that day, Rina put on her pajamas and lied on bed to get some sleep, though she couldn't forget about Goku's bravery earlier today. She had flashback of how he stood fearlessly in front of her to confront the Rising Dragon. Then the second one was his happy expression with a wide toothy grin. This made her blush again heavily. She though that Goku was just another playboy, but that thought was erased when he saved her. Something stirred in her heart, some kind of pleasant, but dreadful emotion that she can't shake off. She insist on the fever to blame for the state she found herself in, but she just couldn't resist. She could say that she started to take a liking to Goku, but she would definitely deny that fact.

"It's the fever, it must be." Rina said, fighting off the blush and squirming in her bed, shaking her head for the flashbacks to disappear, but it didn't help much.

* * *

The next day, Rina was still asleep, though she started to shiver a little bit. But she gritted her teeth as she started to have a nightmare.

 _She was dreaming about how she yet again stood by and watched Noel being captured again by Gaito. But to her immense shock, Hanon and Lucia were also taken captive._

" _Watch out Rina!" Lucia exclaimed._

" _Lucia! Hanon!" Rina shouted in desperation, reaching her hand to grab them, but it was too late. They were pulled away into the shadows, disappearing. Tears of pain and sorrow surged through Rina's eyes._

" _Why do I always bring bad luck to other people?"_ Rina thought, starting to cry as she was slowly waking into reality. It pains her that all of her loved ones are just more victims of her misfortune. She knew that it was a nightmare, but the thought of losing Lucia and Hanon too to Gaito and his minions is simply unbearable to say the least.

Then she opened her eyes as she heard a doorbell ringing. She wiped the tears from her eyes and got up to open the door. To her surprise, Goku was standing at the entrance.

"Goku? Where did you come from?" Rina asked, glad, but slightly irritated that he came here to intrude at her doorstep.

"Hi. How are you feeling?" Goku smiled. He wanted to check on Rina to see that it was nothing serious, but he was glad that wasn't the case, as he noticed that she was slowly recovering.

"I'm fine. I'll come to work tomorrow." Rina frowned. But Goku looked at her blankly as she didn't look so well.

"Are you sure you wanna come tomorrow? Cause you still look a little sick." Goku said, placing her hands on her forehead to check the temperature. Rina blushed at that gesture, but she quickly slapped his hand in denial.

"No, I am not. Now leave me alone Goku, I can take care of myself." Rina frowned and closed her eyes. Goku sighed slightly, Rina is more stubborn then Lucia.

"I don't think so." Goku said without a hint of malice. Rina opened her eyes in slight surprise. "You can't do everything on your own Rina. You should let people help you from time to time." Goku smiled. Rina blushed again, but was kinda offended by his statement.

"Oh really? And who is going to do that, you? Listen, I'm don't like simple-minded guys like you." Rina retorted. She closed her eyes and frowned, still trying to suppress the feeling that she felt for him. But Goku only looked at her blankly, blinking a couple of times in confusion.

"Uhh, actually I was referring to Lucia and Hanon." Goku said. Rina opened her eyes at that answer. Goku smiled as he continued "I'm sure they would be glad to help you out if you just ask them. I may not know them as good as you do, but I bet they would be happy to help." Goku leaned forward slightly, making Rina blush a bit. "Look, I know that you are strong, there is no doubt about that, but I'm certain that if you ask for their help, they would appreciate it, especially Lucia, she always has the habit of helping people. Besides, you are her best friend and she really appreciates you. She values your friendship as much as you value hers." He said. Rina actually pondered on Goku's words. She never thought he was the verbal type, but she was kinda glad he wasn't all brawn. Goku smiled before he turned to the left direction.

"In any case, you should stay at home and get some rest. I won't tell a thing to Lucia and Hanon, unless you tell them yourself." He said. Then he waved her farewell. "Well, see ya." Then he departed home. Rina closed the doors and leaned on it. She had a sad expression on her face, feeling guilty for being so harsh on Goku. He was actually far better person then she would have expected. He didn't offer his help, but Lucia's and Hanon's, which not only surprised her, but touched her a bit. She didn't even bother to suppress that pleasant emotion towards Goku.

* * *

Later on, she put on her clothes and made her way to the shore. She jumped into the sea from a large boulder, deciding to take a swim to the Pearl Hotel.

" _Goku. He is a lot better person then I thought."_ Rina thought, smiling.

But, unknown to Rina, Izure was sitting on a rock away from Rina's eyesight, curious to find only one mermaid princess wandering around.

"Well now, what is a green pearl mermaid princess doing all alone, wandering about? This could be the perfect opportunity to make my move." Izure smirked, satisfied by this turn of events. She followed Rina for a while, until she suddenly lost track of her while she took her human for. She accidentally dropped her flower ring while she jumped from the water, not noticing that it dropped near the water. Izure appeared out of water, but she lost the mermaid.

"Damn, I lost track of the mermaid princess." Izure frowned. She was angry at herself for squandering such a precious opportunity, until she noticed a ring on the floor. She picked it up to inspect it.

"What is this? A ring of the green pearl mermaid princess?" Izure thought out loud. She grinned maliciously at this valuable find. "Master Gaito will be pleased." She said. She noticed a small dolphin swimming nearby. Apparently, it was Momo, Lucia's dolphin from her kingdom. Izure conjured a small vortex enveloping the dolphin.

"Do you know what this is, little one? This is the ring of the green pearl mermaid princess, she is my prisoner." Izure said, using her telekinesis to place the ring beneath Momo's neck, conjuring a rope to secure it. "Tell the other two princesses that if they want their friend back, they must face me at tonight's fireworks festival. Understand?" Izure commanded a frightened dolphin, setting it free after the deed was done. The little animal was forced to comply, for he needed to inform his princess of the impending threat. Izure's plan is starting to take fruit. She may not have captured the green mermaid, but by luring the other two into her trap, it would be a fitting prize for her master.

"Master Gaito, this time… they are mine." Izure said.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, Lucia and Hanon had put their summer kimono's on with their respective colors and made their way to the restaurant. The row was big, much to their surprise, but it didn't stop them from spending the night under the fireworks with their loved ones.

"Wow, look at all these people." Hanon said, surprised by the number of people that are lined up.

"Yeah, I never expected for this many people to show up." Lucia smiled. Hanon turned her attention to her friend.

"I wonder where could Rina be?" Hanon asked curiously. Lucia was also concerned.

"She didn't come to work today, nor did she answer the phone calls." Lucia said before she looked at the ground sadly. "Why didn't she come? She promised she would be here." She said. But Hanon was not surprised by Rina's absence.

"Well, she probably had other things to do, I wouldn't be surprised." Hanon said. Then she noticed Taro passing through the crowd. "Hey Taro, Taro!" Hanon exclaimed, running to meet up with him. Lucia called out for her, but then she heard a familiar squeaking noise coming from the sea.

"Momo?" Lucia said to herself in surprise to find him here in a time like this. She went down the stairs to meet up with the dolphin. But as soon as she came close, Momo lifted his head high, so Lucia could notice a ring strapped around his neck. Lucia immediately recognized the ring.

"Hey, that's Rina's ring that I made for her. Where did you find it?" Lucia frowned, starting to get worried that something didn't happen to Rina. Momo squeaked a few times in a language Lucia understands. "Izure caught Rina? We need to rescue her immediately, go and tell Hanon too, quickly." Lucia urged for Momo to go and a little dolphin obliged. Lucia immediately jumped in the water and swimmed to the location Momo revealed.

Hanon said her farewells to Taro, who had a very brief conversation with him, much to her disappointment. But then, to her surprise, Rina appeared from her right side through the crowd.

"Hi Hanon." Rina greeted, wearing the green kimono she asked from Nicole. Hanon smiled that she came, more so when she is wearing her own summer kimono.

"Hey Rina, you look so cute in that kimono." Hanon smiled brightly. Rina smiled back from her compliment.

"I went to the Pearl Hotel and Nicole gave it to me. Sorry I'm late." Rina said.

"Lucia and I were worried that you would not come to the show." Hanon slightly frowned sadly, though out of concern. Rina also shared her sentiment, regretful for worried them like she did.

"I'm sorry, I was just in the deep thought and I lost track of time." Rina apologized. Then her expression went blank as she noticed that Lucia is missing. "Umm, where is Lucia anyway?" she asked.

"I don't know, she was just here a minute ago." Hanon looked around, but Lucia was nowhere to be seen. Then the two mermaids heard a familiar squeaking, which was actually Momo. The little dolphin was tricked, as he noticed that Rina was alive and well and he had to inform the two mermaids that Lucia was in trouble. Hanon and Rina wasted no time as they immediately went to help Lucia.

As for Lucia, she was closing in on the location where Rina was captured. Little did she know that Izure was waiting for the mermaids to appear, so they might fall into her trap.

"Rina, where are you? Rina!" Lucia frowned, calling out for her friend, increasingly worried for her wellbeing. But suddenly, she was surrounded by magical pillar currents.

"You are mine now, pink pearl mermaid princess. You fell right into my trap." Izure smirked, pleased that her plan worked.

"A trap? Then where is Rina?" Lucia frowned.

"I merely found the ring of the green mermaid." Then izure chuckled maliciously. "But it doesn't matter, I'm taking you to master Gaito."

Lucia would have none of that as she tried to break free, but she was pushed back by the sheer force of Izure's conjuration.

" _The currents are too strong, I can't escape."_ Lucia thought. She was now in a troublesome situation, worried that she might be another one of Gaito's prisoners. But then Rina came as well.

"Lucia, are you okay?" Rina called out for her, but Lucia was now even more worried that Rina will be trapped too.

"Rina, get back!" Lucia shouted, but it was already too late. Rina was now in the same trap that Lucia found herself in. Izure was even more pleased with another mermaid princess to take to her master.

"Well well, another mermaid princess as a prize. How fortunate." Izure smirked. But Hanon and Rina had different tactic in mind. While Rina rushed in to save Lucia, Hanon sneaked behind Izure in her Idol Form and started to sing her song, The Blue Sky.

"Now again i remember everything  
Now i see things i haven't before…"

"Izure, shame on you that you forgot about me." Hanon teased mischievously before she continued to sing.

"I have the strength to give you a whole world."

"For my dreams are reality right now  
All my wishes have become true  
When i have you, it's easy  
I live a life sweet like from fairy tale"

"And all because of you!"

Izure was in so much pain that her magical barrier disappeared, freeing Lucia and Rina.

"It worked, just as we planned. Let's go, Lucia!" Rina said, with Lucia nodding in agreement, both of them starting to assume the Idol Form of their own. They stood close to Hanon, ready to combine their voices to hers, so they might deliver a finishing blow.

"How dare you use our friendship to lay a trap for us? We will make you pay for you misdeeds." Lucia frowned. T

"Live for you, Mermaid Voice!" the mermaids said in unison, starting to sing a new song that was granted by Aqua Regina more than a week ago in Lucia's kingdom, The Starlight.

"The stars are shining  
My hidden wishes  
The more of you are there,  
easier for them to hear of me"

"When the storm is brewing for hours  
When rain is not ceasing for many days  
Hold my hand and then a miracle will happen."

"Come and see what i am capable of  
Light and the darkness hide words with skill  
All the love I'm giving now to you  
Gives me the will to be ready for a new day."

"Loving power of the mermaids!" The three mermaids exclaimed simultaneously as they pointed at the water demon, signifying their finishing move.

"How about an encore?" all three of the mermaids said simultaneously. Izure growled at her yet another defeat.

"Not fair, it's three on one." Izure complained, thought that didn't help her much as she was powerless to face all three of the mermaids at once. She escaped into the deeps, back to Gaito's castle. The mermaids cheered at their victory.

"We are truly an amazing team." Lucia smiled brightly.

"You can say that again." Hanon said cheerfully. As for Rina, she was more angry then happy.

"Lucia, you are impossible! What were you thinking when you were going in the sea all alone?!" Rina shouted, scaring both Lucia and Hanon, staring at Rina with startled expressions. The two mermaids soon relaxed and Lucia started explaining.

"But, I thought you were in danger, I just wanted to help you. I mean, aren't we the best of friends?" Lucia looked down sadly before she looked at Rina. Rina's anger disappeared by Lucia's words, touched at how she considers her a dear friend.

"That's right. I would have done the same as Lucia, as would you if we were in trouble." Hanon said, also caring dearly for Rina. The green mermaid said nothing, looking down as she was at the loss of words. Lucia handed over the ring to Rina.

"Here you go." Lucia smiled, placing the ring in her hands. Rina clenched the ring in appreciation, thanking the goddess herself for blessing her with loyal and caring friends like Hanon and Lucia.

"How precious it can be to have friends." Rina smiled. Then the three mermaids departed to the restaurant, where they can have the full view of the fireworks.

Meanwhile, Goku was waiting for a while for Lucia to show up. They agreed that they would meet up at the restaurant and watch the fireworks, but she was nowhere to be found.

" _Man, what's the deal, why didn't Lucia come at the appointed time?"_ Goku thought, starting to be really bored of waiting. He wasn't angry at Lucia for not coming on time, even he had the habit of being late, but he was really bored of just standing around. He was about to go home, until he noticed to his right Lucia, Hanon and Rina, who finally came.

"Lucia!" Goku waved at Lucia. She smiled brightly at seeing him. He came after all. "Where were you? I have been waiting for you for a while now." Goku looked at her with a slight frown.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Goku." Lucia looked at the ground sadly, feeling guilty for making Goku wait this whole time. But Rina's protective instincts made her to throw a punch that nearly hit him. Goku didn't even flinch by her move, as he knew that even if she were to punch him for real, it wouldn't hurt at all. Rina frowned as well.

"Listen up, Goku, be good towards her, okay? Otherwise I will cut you to pieces." Rina threatened. Lucia looked at Rina blankly before she smiled gently, touched that Rina is actually defending her.

Goku merely looked at her blankly in confusion, sweat dropping a bit.

"Yeah, sure." Goku chuckled nervously, waving his hands in front of him slightly in defense. Then he smiled again as he looked at Lucia. "Well, let's go." He said as he was departing back to the restaurant.

"Goku, wait up!" Lucia smiled, running towards him, so they can walk in together, the burden of guilt lifted from her shoulders. Goku wasn't mad in the slightest, as the two of them immediately started laughing, telling things that only the two of them know about. But Rina couldn't help but look at them sadly, deep down wishing it was her and not Lucia, to stand next to Goku.

"Hey Rina, is there anyone who you like? If so, we can call him to watch the fireworks." Hanon asked, completely oblivious to Rina's dilemma. Rina's conflicting emotions prevents her to stop thinking about Goku, who was laughing with Lucia with a typical toothy grin, making her heart flutter by his simplicity and cheerful attitude towards everything. But then she suppressed that emotion again for the time being, assuming her serious bravado again.

"I'm not interested in those things, there is something i must do first." Rina frowned, turning her attention to Hanon. "I don't have time to be relaxed, while Gaito and his goons are committing unforgivable atrocities. I have to defeat him. I swear, I will not rest until the situation is resolved." She said with a determined look on her face, gazing towards the horizon.

Hanon looked at her with a confused expression. She didn't completely believe in what she was saying, she was clearly hiding something, thought Rina will not admit it. Hanon decided to just drop it. She decided to spend the rest of the show with her, not wanting to leave her alone, and watch the fireworks with joy. It was certainly yet another interesting day and she is looking forward for days to come, with Rina and Lucia by her side, to face all the evils of the deeps… together.


	9. Chapter 9

~Spectral Romance~

It was a beautiful sunny day as Goku and his friends from school gathered up near the beach to hang out. Usually, Goku would use these days to do some heavy training, but today, Daichi and Kengo asked him to come with them, because they had something special in mind. Curious, Goku cancelled his training session for the time being so he may listen to what Daichi and Kengo had to say. Two other girls from school went along with them, because they knew full well of what was in store for them, each eager to have some alone time with Goku whenever possible. One was Oshino, a small brown-haired girl and other was Chiharu, a girl with black-green hair and greyish-blue eyes.

Kaito also went along with them, because he had nothing else to do and he too was interested in what Daichi and Kengo had to say. The two teenagers were excited to go, more so when Goku, Kaito and two other girls went along with them, meaning more fun.

Daichi explained to Goku and Kaito the reason he called them to come. He told them that there was a haunted mansion not far from the city and that it's rumored to be filled with terrifying ghosts.

"A haunted mansion?" Goku asked curiously.

"Sounds like fun, doesn't it?" Daichi smiled brightly.

"Yeah, let's do it." Kengo said excitedly. The girls beside them were also thrilled to go.

"It does sound scary, but it should be a lot of fun." Oshino said.

Goku sighed in disappointment. He hoped that their news involved fighting a strong opponent, because he needed some true challenge, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. He faced demons, androids and all manner of anthropomorphic creatures in his adventures, chasing some silly ghosts sounded really boring and a waste of time. If he knew that was it, he would be training right now.

Kaito shared the sentiment as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. He too was against the idea of chasing imaginary ghosts who supposedly haunt that mansion, he too would rather be someplace else then skulk around in abandoned houses.

But then, Lucia and Hanon were also nearby, making their way to check out the haunted mansion as well, until they noticed Goku and their friends. Lucia smiled brightly and went to meet up with Goku.

"Goku, hi!" Lucia said cheerfully, waving her hand. Goku also smiled widely at seeing Lucia.

"Hey Lucia, how's it going?" Goku smiled.

"Fine, actually. Hanon and I are going to the haunted mansion." Lucia smiled. Goku was rather surprised that she is going there was well.

"You too?" Goku asked, pleasantly surprised. Lucia and Hanon looked at him blankly.

"What do you mean? Are you going there as well?" Lucia asked.

"Well, these guys are going there. They say there are ghosts in the mansion, but if you ask me, it sounds really boring." Goku pouted a bit, rubbing the back of his head. Daichi and Kengo looked at him in slight shock. How can terrifying beings like ghosts be 'boring' to him? He must be crazy.

"Come on Goku, you should come too. The more of us goes there, the better." Kengo urged for Goku to come, but there was nothing interesting for Goku. He really wanted to just spend the day doing some heavy training instead of chasing harmless ghosts.

"I don't know." Then he looked at Lucia. "Are you girls coming along?" He asked. If they were to go too, then it might be a little interesting going there.

"So you are going too?!" Lucia said cheerfully, really hoping that he will come along as well.

"I guess." Goku looked at Lucia blankly before he turned to Daichi and Kengo. "At what time do we go?"

"At nighttime, bro. It would be stupid if we go there now, during the day." Daichi laughed slightly from his silly question.

"Tonight, hmm?" Goku now thought about their suggestion, holding his chin in thought. If that was the case, he can still finish his training session for today and then go with them tonight to the haunted mansion. It still sounded really boring, but if Lucia and Hanon are coming too, then the challenge will be rather interesting.

"I guess I'll go too." Goku smiled, much to the joy of his friends. Lucia smiled excitedly, glad that Goku will be there.

"Then count us as well." Lucia smiled.

"Awesome, the more girls come along, the better." Kengo said.

"Yes, we can't go to the haunted mansion without some scary screams." Daichi joked. Usually going to scary places like that makes the girls shiver and scream from the morbid atmosphere that usually follows in such places.

"Man, it sounds creepy, but interesting." Hanon said, also agreeable about going there.

"Great, then we are all set." Kengo smiled. Hanon narrowed her eyes at Lucia, elbowing her slightly.

"What are you doing? Go and ask Goku to pair up before those other two girls ask before you." Hanon said in a low, but a slightly annoyed tone, having to do Lucia's work yet again. Lucia blushed, but Hanon nudged her to go and ask him.

At the same time, Kaito was also glad that Lucia will come too. But before he could ask her if she wants to pair up with him, Hanon nudged her towards Goku.

Lucia lost balance and fell on Goku's chest, making her blush even more. Goku only looked at her blankly in confusion, wondering what had gotten into her. She quickly composed herself before she started to speak.

"Umm Goku… can I go with you inside the mansion?" Lucia blushed. Goku smiled, he was glad that she asked that question. He too wanted to ask her, but he was caught completely off guard by her sudden clumsy move.

"Yeah, of course." Goku said cheerfully. Lucia smiled brightly before she looked at Hanon, who winked at her in return, glad to pair those two goofballs up. But Kaito was not exactly satisfied with the outcome. Oshino and Chiharu also shared the sentiment, as they wanted to pair up with Goku so badly, but Lucia acted sooner than they did. In the end, they decided to go along with Kaito instead, since he was almost as popular as Goku.

But before Kaito could scold himself for not acting sooner, Oshino acted before Chiharu and grabbed his arm excitedly.

"Kaito, do you want to pair up with me? Pleeease?" Oshino asked cutely, holding his hand tightly, though it only annoyed Kaito even more.

"Alright alright, just stop clinging onto me like that." Kaito sighed in slight irritation for holding onto his hand like her life depended on it. But Goku, Daichi and Kengo got a good laugh from it, along with Hanon and Lucia, which made Kaito frown. Goku then decided to go and train while he still has time to spare.

"Alright, if it's settled, then I'm gonna go and do some training before we go. See ya guys tonight!" He waved goodbye before he departed to the beach he usually trains.

"Okay, later bro." Daichi smiled.

Lucia smiled at Goku, who was departing home before she turned her attention to Hanon.

"Hanon, let's go and find Rina before we go to the mansion." Lucia smiled, with Hanon nodding in agreement.

As the two girls departed, Kaito looked at Lucia, frowning. At first he was truly against the idea of chasing ghosts, but when Lucia decided to tag along too, much to his surprise, he decided to go as well. But he did not count on the fact that she asked Goku to pair up with her, though with Hanon's help. He said to himself countless times to leave Lucia be since the surfing tournament, but he gets a sting of pain in his heart every time he makes that thought. He merely sighed slightly as he just let things play out by itself for now, but hoping that some twist will happen soon.

* * *

Later that day, Lucia, Hanon and Rina arrived at the mansion. It was impressively big for a haunted place and they could only imagine what will await them at the interior.

"Well, here we are." Lucia smiled. Rina didn't know that they were bringing her to some abandoned building and this irritated her a bit.

"What, you brought me all the way here for this? Do you two ever think before you do something?" Rina said angrily. Hanon sweated nervously a bit from her reaction.

"Chill out, they will come sooner or later." Hanon said trying to calm her down.

"What?! You expect me to wait them here till nightfall?!" Rina exclaimed, having a tick mark on her head.

"It sure looks creepy, like it's really haunted." Lucia said, a little frightened at what she may find once they go inside. Then an idea popped in Hanon's mind.

"I know. Instead of waiting them here, why don't we go inside?" Hanon suggested. Lucia and Rina thought about it and they both nodded in agreement, though Lucia was a little anxious to go inside.

* * *

At the same time, far away from the mermaids, Goku is performing his training session at the beach. Today, instead of the usual, physical workout and pushing his fighting abilities beyond their limits, he is performing a different variation of training: Mind training. This was the method he learned during his training with Mr. Popo. He explained that even though physical workout is very important to increase his strength and skill, a true warrior must be balanced both physically and mentally. That's why he was in the same meditative pose ever since he arrived, with his arms and legs folded and stern look on his face as he focused on the illusionary fight in his mind.

The first sparring partner that came to his mind was the second strongest fighter that he fought before: Tien Shinhan. Both of the fighters were disappearing like blurs all over the place, where the only sounds that can be heard are those of punches and kicks thrusting home onto its target. Occasionally they would appear, with either Goku dodging, or Tien countering or similar counters and strikes from both fighters. Then they appeared, with Tien trying to kick Goku in the face, but he ducked and punched him in the gut, then sending an uppercut that sent him flying. Tien quickly regained his composure and fired a Dodon Ray at Goku, but he disappeared in a blur and reappeared behind Tien, about to send a crushing elbow to the head, but Tien also disappeared, sending a punch to Goku's face that sent him flying. But before Tien could land another crushing blow, Goku blocked it and then both of the fighters sent a flurry of punches and kicks at each other again with amazing speed, each fighter landing solid punches in the process. Then the two fists collided with a furious force, sending a burst of blinding light that illuminated the space around them. They both spinned backwards and assumed their fighting positions again.

Both of the fighters stared at each other not as enemies, but friendly rivals. Goku knew fully well that this wasn't real, but it sure felt great to fight one of his friends again, and hoping that once they meet at the tournament, he would be a lot stronger, including Krillin, Yamcha and Chiaotzu.

But then, out of the shadows, a clawed hand appeared and grabbed Tien's head, sending an agonizing pain to the three-eyed warrior. Then a sinister creature appeared from behind Tien with an evil grin on his face. Goku knew fully well who that was as he gritted his teeth in anger. It was King Piccolo. The sinister monster laughed evilly as he held Tien in his iron grip, replaying Goku's dreadful moments of the final battle against King Piccolo when he went desperate.

" _I see that he is no match for you. Well, then it's time to put an end to this weakling."_ King Piccolo said, with a sinister grin spread across his face. After those words, he crushed Tien's head, much to Goku's shock and horror, his eyes wide and mouth agape. Then the demon dropped Tien's limp body to his side, clenching his fists and ready to fight the spiky-haired warrior. But Goku was seething with rage, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in anger. King Piccolo laughed evilly before he faced Goku.

" _And now, you are next… Goku."_ King Piccolo said spitefully with an evil grin. Goku had enough as he charged at his enemy, two elbows colliding, one side trying to overpower the other. Then Goku tried to kick him, but King Piccolo blocked it and countered with fist to the face. Goku regained his composure and bounced back at his foe, kicking him in the face and sending him flying, immediately chasing after him. King Piccolo was now angry as he tried to punch Goku again, but Goku dodged it and punched him in the face instead. Then the two powerful warriors sent a flurry of punches and kicks for a while, but King Piccolo got the upper hand at one moment as he landed an uppercut at Goku, disappearing and reappearing behind him to deliver a chop to finish him, but Goku disappeared and reappeared behind him to deliver a crushing kick to his face, sending him flying. But King Piccolo spinned backwards and immediately fired his signature attack, Explosive Demon Wave. Goku countered his blast with a quick Kamehameha Wave, the two beams colliding, again one side trying to overpower the other. Goku and King Piccolo gritted their teeth in their struggle, until moments later, they shouted, giving their all to finish the fight, but the beams cancelled each other out and exploded with powerful force, sending a blinding light, ending the fight in Goku's mind.

Goku shot opened his eyes wide and was panting a bit, placing his hands on his knees. He frowned as he looked towards the horizon, his anger made evident as this wasn't the first time that King Piccolo suddenly appears during his mind training. Even during his training with Kami and Mr. Popo, albeit rarely, his archenemy would appear in his mind, making him angry to no end. But he remembered Mr. Popo's words when that situation happened.

" _He is just an illusion in your mind Goku. You have already defeated him before, but you need to learn to cleanse the enemies of your past from your mind, despite their terrible transgressions, and remain calmer then the tranquil sky. Only then will you achieve the perfect mental state, even when the situation is not in you favor."_ Mr. Popo said.

He realized he was right, but deep within his mind, his hatred for King Piccolo remained, even after all these years. How could he not hate him? Not only did he destroy the entire city and killed many innocent people after his victory against him, he also killed Krillin and Master Roshi, his most beloved of friends. Even though he revived them with the Dragon Balls, they shouldn't have died in the first place. But, he will have to remain perfectly calm when the day comes that he must face his foe again at the tournament in the form of his son and defeat him again. He then sighed deeply as he returned to his mind training, continuing like this for a good while.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lucia, Hanon and Rina have been walking for a while inside the mansion, examining one room after another. Lucia was holding onto Hanon's back, a little frightened from the dead silence that was surrounding the silent interior of the construction.

"Wow, this place has a taste for scaring people, doesn't it?" Hanon said as she looked around the hallway, looking at the bizarre pictures on the wall and the morbid silence that followed it.

"Yeah. I'll say." Lucia said, clinging onto Hanon's back in fright.

"What is it Lucia, are you scared?" Hanon teased. "Don't worry, there is no such thing as ghosts." Then she looked at Lucia. "Besides, if something happens, Goku and the others will come soon." She said reassuringly, though her statement frightened Lucia even more.

"What do you mean, if something happens?!" Lucia squealed a bit, scared of the possible scenarios that could occur with those words. But then Hanon noticed a sealed door from their right side.

"Oh wow, look. A sealed room. This place really has the atmosphere." Hanon said, excited that this place has its charm for a haunted mansion.

"What happens when you open a sealed room?" Lucia asked curiously, but dreaded from the following answer.

"Silly, you can't open it, that's why it's called 'a sealed room'." Hanon said, but was interrupted as Rina tried to open the doors, but the lock was rusted and broken and it fell down on the floor as soon as Rina touched it, making the three mermaids sweat-drop in turn.

"I guess you can open it sometimes." Hanon said. Then the three mermaids opened the doors to find a large room with not many furniture inside. There were only a lot of bookshelves with many assortment of books, a working desk and a balcony. They searched around to find what was inside, until they noticed a letter on the desk. Lucia picked it up and started to read it.

" _All I want is another touch of your lips, am I asking too much? That's all I think about_." Lucia read. Hanon leaned closer to see what was written on the letter.

"It sounds to me like a story of unrequited love." Hanon said.

"Maybe this letter has something to do with the ghost that was said to be haunting this place." Lucia said, curious about this mystery, trying to solve the confusing puzzles in her mind.

But then, all three of them gasped loudly in fright as they heard a loud, screeching noise that was coming from behind them. The doors were slowly opening and something appeared behind the doors that scared the girls to the core. A shadowy, transparent silhouette appeared, making the girls scream loudly in fear, thinking that it was a real ghost that appeared. But as the doors were wide open, it was actually an old lady who was the caretaker of the mansion, much to the mermaids' great relief.

The old lady escorted them to her house below the mansion, so she may welcome them in her household and give them a better insight of the history of the mansion.

"We are terribly sorry for trespassing like this." The three mermaids said simultaneously, bowing their heads down in shame and feeling guilty for intruding in someone's property.

"My dears, I apologize to you that I scared you like that." The old lady smiled gently, feeling a bit regretful for scaring the girls as she did.

"We are very pleased to meet you, ma'am. Since you've been here for years, can you tell us the story about the mansion?" Hanon asked politely, but eager to know the history of that haunted place. But Lucia was still a little shaken from that jump scare inside the mansion, rubbing her cheek with a handkerchief.

" _I am glad to meet her too, but I felt like my heart was about to jump right out of my chest."_ Lucia thought nervously. Then the old lady started to explain the story they requested.

"That house is guarding a sad, but unusual love story." The old lady said before she looked at the mansion from the window. "Since I was working there a long time ago, I'm the only one that actually knows about it."

"Can you please tell us about it?" Lucia asked politely out of respect. Then the old lady had flashbacks of that period as she started to explain the story.

"In that mansion, there once resided a beautiful young lady. She and her lover were greatly in love with one another. But her parents were against their relationship, let alone their marriage, but nevertheless, they were secretly meeting with each other, hiding on a small boat that was floating in the nearby cove." She said.

"That is so romantic." Hanon said, who had an expression filled with admiration and joy of such a strong bond, with Lucia also sharing the sentiment. Then the old lady continued the story.

"But one day, the young lady received a marriage proposal from another man. Her parents forced her to engage him and the two lovers fell in despair. In the end, her lover decided to end their relationship and leave, hoping that she would somehow find happiness in her marriage with another man. But the lady could not bear it as she was sitting on the boat in the cove every day, waiting for his return. But sadly, he never came back. She sat on that boat alone… and suffered." The old lady said, sadder by the minute as her story progressed to darker moments.

"That letter that you've read was the same one she wrote before she died. Poor thing." She said. Lucia, Hanon and Rina looked at her sadly as they processed a truly sad story. Lucia in particular, couldn't believe it to be true, as it was too sad to bear it. The old lady carried on with her storytelling.

"One stormy night, she was sitting in her room and writing a letter, until she thought she noticed a person in the cove from the window. She stopped writing the letter and immediately rushed to the cove, but the rocks at the cove were slippery, making her fall in the water, consumed by the waves. Soon, rumors started to spread that her spirit remained in the room where she was writing a letter that night. That room was sealed ever since." The old lady finished. Lucia and Hanon looked down sadly, their hearts in slight pain from the tragic ending.

"I assume she is still waiting for him till this day, even though she is a ghost. It was a true love." Lucia said sadly, heartbroken from hearing an indeed sad story, but that of true love.

"How tragic." Hanon said sadly, also heartbroken from such an end to two lovebirds.

* * *

The night soon fell and Goku finished with his training session and went to meet up with Kaito and the others who have already arrived to the mansion.

"Hey guys." Goku greeted the group cheerfully. The others smiled in return.

"Hi bro. Are you ready to do this?" Daichi said excitedly.

"Yeah." Goku smiled before his expression went blank. "But where is Lucia? Shouldn't she be here by now?" Goku looked around for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Sorry Goku, Lucia and Hanon did not come yet. Until they arrive, Kaito and Oshino should enter first." Kengo smiled. Kaito was rather interested to see what was inside the house which everyone talks about.

"Alright then, let's go." Kaito smirked, ready to do it. Oshino held Kaito's hand tightly.

"Kaito, please promise that you won't let go of my hand." Oshino said in fright.

"I won't." Kaito said simply in slight annoyance. Then they both went inside, but not before his friends teased him.

"Yo, Kaito! Don't come back with your tail whipped!" Daichi teased Kaito, which made others laugh slightly and Goku snicker childishly. But Kaito merely smirked in return.

"Not a chance!" Kaito said before entering the mansion. While they were entering, Goku went behind the house while the others were not looking, curious to see what was around the house while Kaito and Oshino go inside. Since he was going to wait for Lucia to come, he might as well pass some time by exploring outside.

A few moments later, Kaito and Oshino were walking through the hallway leading to the once sealed room. Oshino was clinging onto Kaito's hand tightly.

"I'm scared Kaito." Oshino said in a frightened tone, which confused Kaito.

"What? But there is nothing here." Kaito raised his eyebrow in confusion. She was really a scaredy-cat.

"I know, but I'm still scared. Just don't let me go, okay?" Oshino pleaded.

"I heard ya." Kaito said casually.

"Thank you Kaito, I knew I can count on you." Oshino smiled brightly before they continued to venture further inside. But in truth, Oshino was not afraid at all, she merely pretended to be scared so that she may form a bond with Kaito.

" _Ghosts, who believes in them anyway? I am not going to miss this opportunity to get closer with Kaito."_ Oshino thought, smiling brightly as she leaned her head on his shoulders.

Meanwhile, Goku walked behind the house, occasionally hearing Oshino's screams. He snickered at it actually. He didn't sense any sinister energy inside the mansion, so it's probably some scary picture or something that scared her. But while he inspected the rooftops, he frowned as he sensed a familiar energy signature in the attic above.

" _Who is that? That power level feels familiar."_ Goku thought. He didn't waste a second as he jumped high on rooftops and climbed to the window above to inspect the energy signal.

At the same time, Kaito and Oshino have reached the sealed room. The lock was broken, so they opened the doors and checked what was inside.

"Kaito, this place is especially scary." Oshino said in a pretend fear.

"But it's only a simple room." Kaito shrugged, thinking she is overreacting when there is nothing to be feared in this place. But then, a small quake erupted inside the room and many books from shelves suddenly started to float, much to Kaito's surprise. Oshino was now genuinely afraid, because she never expected this turn of events.

"Impossible. Don't tell me that this place is really haunted?" Kaito said, never anticipating that this kind of thing would happen.

"Help me! I'm scared!" Oshino exclaimed, now shivering in legitimate fear, this whole situation dreading her by the second. Then to their greater surprise, a white specter appeared in front of them. Then it showed a frightening expression on its face, revealing a genuine ghost, which frightened Oshino to the core. She screamed in pure fear, so loud that it can be heard from outside the mansion. Even Goku heard that scream as he leaned on the window to check the sinister power level he sensed.

" _That must be Oshino. She sounds like she is really scared. I bet that familiar power level inside must be responsible for this."_ Goku thought as he even heard piano playing inside. If he didn't know better, then it must be…

"Just as I thought. It's that Dark Lover, Yuri." Goku said to himself, but not loud enough for Yuri to hear.

"This stupid dare is an important event for these lovebirds. I bet the mermaid princesses will not miss it." Yuri briefly laughed hysterically while playing the piano. "Though I am a little tired of scaring these silly couples in a past few days." She said. Goku overheard Yuri's babbling and raised his eyebrow in interest.

Meanwhile, Yuri conjured more ghosts and surrounded Kaito and Oshino. Kaito wasn't afraid, but he was cautious by their next move that might be harmful. Oshino's face was completely blue out of pure fear, the amount of fright she was experiencing took its toll on her mind and she fell unconscious on Kaito's chest.

"Whoa, easy there." Kaito caught her before she collapsed on the floor. "What is this?" He asked himself, taking in this bizarre scenario that was unfolding in front of him. All of the ghosts were doing some silly dances, making them less frightening then he thought.

At the same time, Goku was curious about that Yuri said.

" _Mermaid princesses? Who are they?"_ Goku thought. Then he frowned as this was no time to ponder on it. _"I guess I'll figure that part later. For now, I have to deal with Yuri_." He thought. Then he smirked as a brilliant idea popped in his mind, something that will give her a taste of her own medicine. He leaned outside the window and quickly made his way to an alternative entry point.

"I haven't caught them in a while, but this time I will succeed. I will capture them all in one fell swoop." Yuri said, laughing hysterically, but she was rather annoyed by the old rusty piano she was playing. "Man, I am playing rather lousy. It's this rusty piano, it needs some tuning. I hate used pianos." Then she stopped playing piano and stood up. "Forget it, I'll scare them away myself." She them made her way to the couple downstairs.

But as soon as she got outside, she looked to the left to find a familiar face. He had a spiky black hair and orange uniform. She gritted her teeth as she realized who he is. It was Goku.

"Hi." Goku said simply as he leaned on the wall with arms folded.

"You!" She exclaimed in frustration, but then she smirked mischievously. "I'm so glad you are here, human. You will be a fitting prize for my master."

"Why fight him when I'm your opponent?" Goku said. But Yuri's eyes were wide in surprise. How can he speak with his mouth closed? But soon, it was revealed that he didn't speak at all. It was the same voice that appeared from the shadows behind Goku. It was… another Goku?!

"What?! How can there be two of you?!" Yuri exclaimed in shock, her face slightly blue as she backed up a little. Both Goku's snickered childishly at Yuri.

"Well, which one of us will fight her first?" First Goku said to the second.

"I don't know, it's a tough decision." The second Goku said, holding his chin in thought. Then his expression was wide with joy. "I know! Let's do a game of rock-paper-scissors." He suggested.

"Alright then. Prepare to lose." First Goku smirked.

"Here we go!" Second Goku also smirked. Then two Gokus started their game to determine who will fight her first.

"Ready? One, two, three!" Two Gokus said simultaneously. They were even most of the time, one side failing to outwit the other.

Yuri was shaking from this bizarre predicament. Not only she had to deal with one Goku, but two? It was like she was in a nightmare and she hoped she would awake soon enough. With fear slowly starting to overtake her, dreading that they would pummel her all the same, like that time when she fought him during her hunt for the mermaids using Taro's notes, she slowly backed away and ran as fast as she could. She passed through a few corridors before she encountered someone that really frightened her. She screamed briefly when she encountered him.

"Hi. It's about time you found me." Goku said with a wide toothy grin.

"Another one?! How can there be more of you?!" Yuri exclaimed, infuriated by multiple Gokus that started to appear in this place. Goku merely stared at her blankly in confusion.

"What do you mean 'more of me'? There can't be more than one of me, silly." Goku snickered childishly. Yuri's anger started to boil by this infuriating situation.

"I'm saying that there are two of you playing rock-paper-scissors over who wants to fight me!" Yuri barked, pointing in the direction she came from. But Goku only looked at her blankly before he smiled.

"I don't know what you are talking about, but now that you mentioned it, I would _**love**_ to fight you again." He then assumed his fighting pose. "Well, shall we?" He asked. But Yuri's face was blue as she again backed away.

"Stay away from me, you spiky-haired freak!" Yuri screamed, running in another direction away from Goku. She locked herself in a large bedroom sighing slightly and calming herself.

"What was that about? How can there more than one Goku?" She asked herself, leaning her head on the door.

"Good question." A familiar voice said, startling Yuri and her face went blue again, slowly turning to find two Goku's sitting on the bed behind her.

"I always wondered how can there be two of us. What about you Goku?" First Goku said.

"I don't know, Goku. This is rather weird, but it sure is fun." Second Goku snickered childishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Yuri's eyes were wide and mouth agape in fear as she immediately ran away from the room. She ran from one room to another, but each time, she would inexplicably find more Goku's in each room. But unknown to Yuri, Goku and his copies used their speed to reach the rooms before she did, considering she was rather slow, even when she sprinted. She then locked herself in a small and dark room.

"Thank goodness, no more spiky-haired freaks." Yuri sighed in relief. But then, behind her, someone familiar appeared.

"Hi." Goku said casual, but spooky tone. This made her really scream as she ran as fast as she could, but for reasons she couldn't even put in words, other Gokus were blocking her way, which made her end up in the attic again. She turned left and right to find an escape route, but she realized she was cornered. Then her face went completely blue and she started to shake uncontrollably as she found not two, but FOUR Gokus.

"How… How can there be FOUR of you? EXPLAIN NOW!" Yuri screamed at the top of her lungs in pure fear, but utterly angry and infuriated of being toyed around by four Gokus. But the four Gokus merely snickered childishly at the same time before they smirked.

"If you think…" First Goku said.

"That four Gokus are bad…" Second Goku said.

"Then how about…" Third Goku said before all four of them cupped their hands together.

"Four Kamehameha Waves?" Forth Goku said.

Yuri's face was as blue as the sea, shivering even more than before and shaken to the core. If she didn't stand a chance against one Goku, what chance does she have against FOUR of them?

" **Kaaa… Meee… Haaa… Meee** …" Four Gokus chanted simultaneously, their cupped hands glowing with blue and white rays, ready to unleash their technique.

Yuri screamed in fear as she couldn't take it anymore. Then she growled as she knew she had no choice but to retreat, cursing all four of them and swearing that she would make them pay for this.

As soon as Yuri disappeared, all four Gokus started to laugh hysterically, rolling on the floor. Three Goku copies disappeared and returned to a single body again. Goku continued to laugh hysterically, louder by the second as he remembered the look on Yuri's horrified face every time he would corner her. The Multiform Technique was the best idea he ever had, she was frightened to the core. He knew that Yuri was oblivious to his technique and since she couldn't sense energy, this was the perfect opportunity to clown around with her. He knew that dividing into four also splits his strength and power, but Yuri didn't know that and Goku abused that fact to scare her, a payback for scaring his friends. He soon calmed himself and wiped a few tears from his eyes out of all that laughter.

"Ah man, that was a lot of fun." He smiled. "Now to get back to Kaito and the others, they are probably worried from all those screams." He said to himself before he departed.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the sealed room, the ghosts disappeared and the books fell down, much to Kaito's relief. But Oshino did not feel so well.

"Hey, are you alright? Wake up." Kaito shook her to wake her up, but she was still unconscious. Moments later, Daichi, Kengo and Chiharu entered the room.

"Kaito, are you alright? We heard the screaming." Daichi asked, concerned that something might have happened to them.

"We are okay, she just passed out, that's all." Kaito said calmly, looking at Oshino before turning his attention to Daichi. "Let's take her outside." He said, with others nodding in agreement.

At the same time, Lucia, Hanon and Rina were getting close to the mansion after their stay with the former caretaker below. All three of them entered inside to see if there was anyone there, but they found nothing. No screams, no signs of life.

"That's strange, where is everyone? I thought that Daichi and the others would be here by now." Hanon asked her two friends.

"Who knows? Maybe they are still outside, deciding who will go in first." Rina shrugged. Then the three of them noticed Goku in the distance, slowly making his way outside, but not before entering the sealed room for reasons known only to him. Lucia blushed at seeing him. He actually came and this made her slightly nervous. But Hanon and Rina nudged her to go.

"Go ahead Lucia. We will meet up with the others." Rina smiled. In truth, she was not up for this whole charade and she just wants to go home.

"Good luck." Hanon smiled, winking before she departed with Rina back to the Pearl Hotel. Lucia blushed red and got nervous for leaving her alone.

"What? Hey, don't leave me alone like that." Lucia said nervously before she pouted, while still blushing. "What kind of friends are you anyway?" She mumbled. But then she smiled, glad to have such caring friends by her side whenever she needed support. She slowly made her way to the room where Goku went.

* * *

Goku decided to take the shortcut by jumping outside and going straight to Kaito and the others. He was slowly opening the window before Lucia came in.

"What are you doing Goku?" Lucia asked curiously when she saw him opening the window and leaning on it. Goku turned around to see that it was Lucia, much to his surprise.

"Hi Lucia." He smiled, turning around to face her. "I thought you wouldn't come, you have been gone for a while." He looked at her blankly. Lucia bowed her head down in apology.

"I'm sorry Goku, I had something important to do at the hotel with Hanon and Rina and that's why we were a little late. Can you forgive me?" Lucia apologized, regretful for diching Goku like that by forgetting completely about their agreement.

"Don't worry, it's alright. I…" But before Goku could continue, suddenly, a working table behind them started to shake, much to their surprise. Goku frowned, clenching his fists by the sudden occurrence. Lucia hid behind him for protection, fearing that something terrible will happen.

" _What is it? This can't be Yuri's trick, she is gone now. Unless she decided to come back for more."_ Goku thought, ready to fight the imminent threat. But to their surprise, the table suddenly stopped to shake. Goku and Lucia looked at each other blankly in confusion before they looked back at the table.

But then, a blue, transparent specter appeared in front of them, sitting on the chair. Even Goku was surprised to find a real ghost. Not some conjuration of Yuri's from before, but the actual deceased person. Lucia was also very surprised to find that it was the same lady that the old caretaker told her about.

"Goku, do you see her too?" Lucia looked at him, hoping that she didn't go crazy.

"Yeah." He said simply. The ghost stood up, holding a letter in her hand.

"A letter?" Goku said, curious as to what was written on it.

"It's probably a letter that she wanted to give to her lover. I wish I could help her to deliver it to him." Lucia said, looking at the ghost blankly.

"Yeah, but how?" Goku looked at her blankly. For him, this was nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, he too decided to help the ghost out, considering she was relatively harmless and did not want to fight them. Besides, he witnessed more bizarre occurrences in his adventures then this.

"I don't know." Lucia said simply, not having a proper answer for that question. Then, to their surprise, the ghost disappeared, leaving only her letter, which materialized in front on them and fell on the desk. Lucia went closer to take the sealed letter. Then she remembered the story the old lady told her about.

"The cove." She said to herself before she turned to face Goku. "Goku, let's go to the nearby cove."

Goku had no idea what was her plan or motive, but nonetheless he nodded his head In agreement, knowing that her intentions were pure. Both of them descended down some steep steps and arrived near the cove.

"This is where the two of them were secretly meeting together." Lucia explained to Goku. Then a white, shining light appeared in the distance, revealing a boat with a man on it. Goku raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"Where did he come from?" Goku asked, bewildered to find another ghost. Maybe they escaped the Otherworld or something from where his grandpa now resides.

"It looks like a ghost of a man. But why? Unless…" Lucia asked, looking at him sadly. Then she remembered about the young lady's lover from the story. "Unless he heard that she died here and came back to look for her." Then she smiled gently. "Goku, he never forgot about her." She said.

"Can you tell me what's going on? I don't understand what you are trying to say." Goku frowned a bit at her, completely confused by this scenario, because she never explained to him the whole story. But Lucia had no time for that, because the time has come to unite the deceased lovers.

"I am going to give this to him. Wait here." Lucia said before she ran closer to the water.

"Hey, wait up!" Goku exclaimed, running after her. But as she was getting near the water, she realized the cant reach him. He was too far away and the only way she can do it is if she transforms in mermaid form, but she can't, not in front of Goku.

"Darn it, I can't get close enough." Lucia said. Goku had no idea what is going on or why is Lucia doing all this, but he decided to deliver the letter himself.

"Give it here, I'll do it." Goku said, taking the letter from Lucia and jumping high in the air, with just enough force to land on the boat. But then he was flailing his arms and legs in panic as he was about to go right through the boat and into the water. He splashed inside, spitting out water as he surfaced, snickering childishly and rubbing the back of his head.

"My bad." He said before he gave the wet letter to the ghost. Then as soon as he delivered it, he swimmed back to the shore, jumping from the water and landing near Lucia. She smiled at him for doing such a noble thing.

Then the letter glowed and revealed a woman from the sealed room, staring at the man lovingly. Goku and Lucia smiled at their lovely reunion.

"It looks like they are finally together now." Lucia smiled, glad that they helped them out.

"Yeah, it would seem so." Goku smiled, glad that everything turned out alright. But Goku and Lucia looked at the ghosts blankly as they were getting near them with grateful smiles on their faces.

" _Thank you."_ The ghost lady said.

" _The two of us are at long last together again, thanks to you."_ The ghost man said. Goku and Lucia smiled brightly.

"We were glad to help." Lucia smiled gently, glad for them.

"Sure, no problem." Goku smiled, nodding in confirmation.

" _We are eternally grateful to you, but still… we have a final request from you."_ The ghost lady said. Goku and Lucia again looked at the deceased couple blankly in confusion.

"A request?" Lucia asked simply.

" _We wish that we embrace one another… one last time."_ The ghost lady said before possessing Lucia's body, while the ghost man possessed Goku's body. Both Goku and Lucia had this same, strange experience of losing control of their bodies to a possessed entity. Not even Goku ever came to this situation while he was fighting his enemies. Even though his will is strong and he can gain control of his body again, though with slight difficulty, he allowed the man to possess his body and hug the lady that was with him.

" _Did her spirit just entered my body? What a strange feeling."_ Lucia thought. Then the possessed Goku turned possessed Lucia towards him, staring at her with a serious, but loving look.

" _Goku? No, that is a ghost of her lover. I wonder what Goku is thinking about right now. Does he know that it's me?"_ Lucia thought.

" _Wait a second. What is this guy doing? I thought they meant they were going to hug each other, but it seems he wants to do something else entirely."_ Goku thought, oblivious to what the ghost man intents to do, though this does feel familiar, like he had done this before.

Then possessed Goku grabbed her chin gently, pulling it up slightly, making possessed Lucia blush as he stared at her with his same expression.

" _Goku. The way you look into my eyes…"_ Lucia thought, knowing all too well that look on his face and what it means.

" _Is she going to…"_ Goku thought, knowing that look on Lucia's face which was very familiar. It was that same, loving look that the mermaid from the Aqua Park gave him before she kissed him on the lips. But this time, with his emotions mixed with that of the deceased ghost, he felt that the ghost man's love and desire was so strong that it was almost overwhelming.

Then, the couple closed their eyes and were slowly leaning towards one another, until their lips mixed into a deep, loving kiss. Even though their bodies were possessed, their emotions skyrocketed. The kiss was so deep and full of love that frightened the young couple, but at the same time, they were feeling immeasurably happy. Especially Lucia, for she always wanted to share a kiss with Goku, even though at this very moment, it came with some help from the ghost lady.

Even Goku had to admit that this overwhelming feeling felt great to say the least. This is the second kiss that he had with a girl, only this time, the emotions were so strong in that kiss that it sent a surge of shocking energy through his entire body. Whether the ghost inside of him was to be blamed for that, or it came out of his own volition, he felt completely at peace and it felt like time stopped several heart beats. He didn't know why, but he wanted to maintain the kiss for as long as possible.

Now that the ghosts were finally at peace for sharing one final kiss, they left their bodies and their spirits travelled to the Otherworld. But even so, Goku and Lucia did not break the kiss, neither of them aware that they were gone and time stopped completely for the young couple. Both felt immensely happy and full of joy from the inside, a dream that they wish they would never awake from. It wasn't something that Goku would say, but these words can describe his current emotions that he is experiencing at that moment.

Then, after a good while passed, they broke the kiss, blushing at each other while coming back into reality, Lucia more so. Goku could only look at Lucia with his typical, innocent expression, trying to process what just happened.

After a few minutes of silence, they gazed at the sea, thinking about the couple that departed.

"So, I guess those two have left for good, huh?" Goku asked, looking towards the horizon.

"Well, now that they have reunited, I see no reason for them to stay here anymore." Lucia said.

Both of them looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes before averting their gazes from one another, with Lucia blushing a bit and Goku scratching his cheek nervously. This type of situation was really awkward for him, as he was never good in expressing his emotions to anyone, nor did he ever kissed a girl by himself. Then he decided to regroup with the others who are probably waiting for them at the mansion.

"Well, we should go and meet up with the others. They are probably looking for us." Goku smiled gently.

"No, I think I will say here a little longer." Lucia said, without averting her gaze, her blush still on her face. At that moment, Goku also wanted to have alone time and process the whole scene that happened so fast several minutes ago.

"Okay. See ya." Goku smiled, waving goodbye before he headed back to the group. Lucia only stayed silent, blushing even more as even Goku's simplest of words touched her heart. She caressed her lips with her fingers, replaying the deep and loving kiss that happened not so long ago over and over again, appreciating every moment she spent with her love of her life, Goku.

As for Goku, he returned to Kaito and others, who were waiting for him at the entrance. They were glad that they see him again.

"Goku, where were you? We thought that ghost got you or something." Daichi asked out of concern. Goku merely laughed light-heartedly and waved a hand in front of him.

"Don't worry guys, I just lost myself in the woods and it took some time to get back here." He said. While the group was skeptical about what he said, they decided to just roll with it, as it was already getting late and it was time to go home.

"Do you know what happened to Oshino? She passed out and she said she doesn't remember anything." Kengo said. Goku pretended like he didn't know, though he knew that Yuri was to be blamed in that department.

"Really? How about that." Goku said, staring at them blankly, playing dumb.

"Well, I guess it's time to go home. It's been a long night." Kaito said to the girls, Daichi and Kengo. They nodded in agreement as they all ventured back home. Goku, on the other hand, decided to go someplace else, alone. Daichi turned around to face Goku.

"Goku, aren't you coming with us?" He asked curiously.

"Nah, I'm gonna stay here a little longer. I'll see ya guys tomorrow." Goku smiled, waving them goodbye.

"Alright. Bye bro." He waved goodbye also. As soon as they left, Goku jumped into the sky and flew away to his destination.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lucia was sitting on the rock away from the shore in her mermaid form, singing her song, The Legend of the Mermaid, while replaying today's events.

"The seven colored wind  
blows across the long plateau.  
At the peak  
A nostalgic song was playing.  
And before the dawn  
I could hear a melody.  
And I knew  
That this song,  
Would only bring joy and love."

"Look to the east,  
What do you see?  
Little birds flying far away…"

She then opened her eyes and looked at the moon above her.

" _The events that happened today, I will remember forever. The feeling when I was in his embrace, when we were kissing, it was the most beautiful feeling I have ever experienced. Love is the most beautiful gift."_ She thought, cherishing every moment she shared with Goku, and more. She smiled gently by his rather intriguing personality. He is so fearless and confident in every battle and yet he is so shy and reserved when it comes to romance. He is definitely a gentle soul, but also a powerful warrior in his own right, traits that she admires and loves about him the most, one of the reasons she fell in love with him so deeply. She then closed her eyes and continued to sing.

They,  
Are flying off to a place,  
Full of love,  
It's like a treasure."

"The seven seas have always been my paradise.  
A place where all the love in my heart is realized.  
Even after,  
a night in the storm,  
The joy in my heart,  
can always be reborn.  
Listen to the melody of seven lands.  
It will always be here till the very end.  
Even if no one remembers this,  
I won't forget.  
Legend of the sea."

* * *

Meanwhile, on one of the several stone pillars not far from his training spot, Goku was lying down with his arms behind his head and legs crossed, looking at the stars and the moon, contemplating on the events that transpired when they left the mansion.

" _Man, what in the world happened back there? One second, two ghosts appeared and possessed our bodies, and then the next…"_ He thought, having a flashback of the kiss that he and Lucia shared. He couldn't help but blush a bit from that moment, caressing his hair in confusion.

" _The way that we kissed… I don't know if those ghosts were to blame, but that kiss felt so… great. No, it felt amazing!"_ He thought, holding his hand on his chest. But after a few moments, he put both of his arms behind his head again.

" _Boy, this night was crazy for sure, but I'm kinda glad that I came to that silly dare after all. I can't wait to see what happens next in days to come."_ He thought, smiling while closing his eyes, enjoying in the beautiful, starry night.

This wasn't the first time that he kissed with a girl, but the emotions and passion put into that kiss was something far more than Goku anticipated. He didn't even know that they were going to kiss in the first place, but he was kinda glad that they did. He couldn't explain the amount of happiness he is experiencing right now after his kiss with Lucia. Usually, he was always happy and carefree, only this night, his cheerfulness has been multiplied manifold. He simply can't find a correct word or a good explanation for the amount of joy he is feeling at this very moment. But, he knew one thing for sure: this is the night he will definitely remember and he is looking forward for days to come with great excitement.


	10. Chapter 10

~Reunions~

Two days later, after their little adventure in the haunted mansion away from the city, Lucia, Hanon and Rina have gathered up in the living room with Nicole and Madame Taki to discuss with the owner of the restaurant Maki, about his upcoming event after his successful night with the fireworks. As for Lucia, she was always blushing whenever she thought about the night that she and Goku kissed, which Hanon and Rina teased her every time, much to Lucia's annoyance. But she put those thoughts aside for the moment as they listened intently on what Maki had to say. He said that there is an upcoming mermaid competition that he was organizing as a finishing touch to his business opening of the beach restaurant.

"A mermaid competition?" Nicole said, having a small blush on her face. It was no secret to the other mermaids that she has taken a liking to Maki, thought Nicole refused to admit it. But the girls knew better, especially Hanon. She was always very perceptive when it comes to love and Nicole definitely likes Maki, but was also supportive about it. But at the moment, they too were rather interested in this event that Maki is organizing.

"That's right. It's basically a contest for Miss. Beach, to put it simply." Maki explained.

"I see. So you came to us so we can help you find the participants, is that right?" Madame Taki smiled. Maki chuckled light-heartedly by her lucky guess.

"You are as perceptive as ever, Madame Taki. Yes, even though I am organizing the competition, I will need your help, so i could be sure it will be a real hit." Maki said.

"In that case, then I have no choice but to participate as well." Taki smiled. The others looked at the fortuneteller with confused expressions, wondering if she was either joking or was being dead serious.

"What?" Maki said, surprised by her outlandish suggestion.

"What kind of contest would that be without me in it?" Taki said, clearly revealing that she wasn't joking. Or so it seemed. Hanon sweat-dropped and chuckled nervously from Taki's bizarre proposal.

"Your enthusiasm is admirable, but don't you think that the participants should be a little younger?" Hanon said nervously, hoping she won't offend Taki with those words. But Taki radiated with red aura and got a purple tint around her body in a rather scary fashion.

"What are you talking about? Are you saying that I'm not young?" Taki said with a slightly angry tone. Maki also sweat-dropped nervously from her scary aura, seeing that she was serious about joining in this event.

"No no, you would usually be in the first place Madame Taki, but this event is organized for a lot younger participants." Maki said nervously, raising his hands slightly to calm her down. But Taki was not calmed down as even her eyes started to glow red.

"What do you mean, a lot younger?!" Madame Taki said in an angry tone, now starting to scare everyone present with her sudden crazy attitude, trying to calm her down. But she quickly put her crystal ball down on the table, immediately returning to her normal self. She wasn't truly angry, she just pretended to be angry so she could have some fun and scare them all a bit.

"Relax, I'm just playing." Taki smiled. Maki and others sighed in relief slightly, they thought she was about to go ballistic, but fortunately she was only fooling around. Then she turned towards the mermaids. "Lucia, Hanon, Rina, the three of you will participate in this event. Got it?" She said in a commanding tone.

"Yes." Lucia and Hanon said cheerfully at the same time, eager to show what they got. But Rina was not very excited for this contest, nor has any interest in going there to begin with.

"Why do I have to go?" Rina asked in annoyed tone.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that the winner will receive a plasma TV that can be mounted on the wall." Maki said. This kind of reward was a music to Rina's ears, flipping her interest towards the competition upside down, grinning at the prospect of victory and the prize that awaits her.

" _Huh, I'll win."_ Rina thought confidently.

"If it will help, then it will be an honor if I participate as well." Nicole blushed, all too willing to help Maki in any way she can, even entering in his event to make it more popular. Maki for one was thrilled to have her on the stage.

"Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way." Maki smiled, making Nicole blush even more. Maki also has feelings towards Nicole, which was somewhat noticeable by the mermaids, though they couldn't confirm it just yet. But as for Maki, he couldn't think of anything better but for Nicole to be there to be a part of his event. Sometime later, after everything was said and done, he departed to finish preparations, while the four mermaids readied themselves to give the audience quite a show.

* * *

Sometime later that day, Maki inspects the current progress of the stage that is being constructed for the contest. But not far from the stage, Goku was passing by, on his way to the market to refill his fridge and buy himself an abundant lunch to restore his energy after all the intense training he did. Out of curiosity, he went down to the beach to see what it was all about, remembering that Maki mentioned some time ago about organizing some competition. As he went to the front of the stage, he noticed a billboard that was lifted above him.

"A mermaid competition?" Goku said to himself. Then Maki noticed him and went to greet him.

"Hi Goku." Maki smiled. Goku turned to his right to find Maki.

"Oh hi Maki, how are you?" Goku said cheerfully.

"Great actually, the preparations for the Mermaid competition are nearly set. Oh, and Lucia, Hanon and Rina will participate as well." Maki smiled. Goku was rather surprised by the news.

"Really?" Goku asked.

"Yes. I think they would appreciate if you were to come to cheer them on, considering you hang out together." Maki suggested. Goku thought about it for a second before he nodded in agreement. He needed some rest after all the training, so being a spectator of this event will do him some good.

"Sure." Goku smiled. He had ideas about this event being a fighting championship or something, but since Maki told him that only girls can participate, that idea was thrown out the window. But still, with Lucia joining this event, it should be interesting.

Meanwhile, far away from the beach, Eril was overseeing the construction of the stage from the distance using her binoculars, interested by these turn of events.

"What is this? It must be some kind of contest. Hmm, maybe the mermaid princesses will appear there." Then she smirked. "Good, then that means once they arrive, I can capture them all at once!" She said cheerfully. "Im so smart, im glad I took the watch duty for today!" she cheered, immediately departing back to Gaito's castle to inform the other water demons of the mermaids' whereabouts.

* * *

While Maki is overseeing preparations for his big event, back in the Pearl Hotel, Lucia and Hanon discussed on what exactly to wear on this contest.

"So, do you think we should wear bathing suits in this contest?" Lucia asked.

"Of course, silly." Hanon said light-heartedly.

"Then what bathing suits should we wear?" She asked curiously.

"Well, since this will be the mermaid competition, we should wear something sparkly, mermaid-like bathing suit." Hanon said. Lucia was slightly confused from her suggestion.

"How does it even look like?" Lucia asked. This question threw Hanon's idea out the window as she just decided to remain silent about it, a little embarrassed for even suggesting something like that. Lucia stayed silent too, as they both realized that they themselves are the mermaids and it was pointless to think of something like mermaid based bathing suit.

"So, what bathing suit do you think Rina will wear?" Lucia asked.

"She seems totally uninterested, but if she were to enter, I bet it would be something provocative." Hanon guessed.

While the two mermaids were brainstorming of the perfect bathing suit, in Rina's apartment, Rina was looking in the closet for bathing suit of her own.

"Even for the brand new plasma TV…" She then pulled out a very tight bikini. "… this bikini seems way too much." She said. She wants to win that TV at the contest, but she is not so desperate for it as to wear something like this, it's simply not her thing to wear lecherous clothing like that.

* * *

At the same time, in the city district, Goku is making his way to the nearby supermarket, where he will resupply himself before the mermaid competition begins.

"Alright, time to see what im in the mood for today." He said to himself cheerfully as he entered the market. He found it to be quite massive, which was perfect as he needed a lot of food to restore the energy he lost from his previous training. He then took a very large shopping cart and stood on it while pushing forward like a scooter, laughing along the way childishly, quickly picking up the food he wanted. He wasn't very picky, as he took massive quantity of food, consisting of large variation of vegetables, fruits, meat, frozen food, along with a few sweets, like cakes. It didn't take him long to pile up his cart to the brim, but the food stack was enormous, almost as large boulder. The cash girl sweat-dropped at the sight of the food stack. It looked like a mountain from where she stood. Then the girl composed herself and frowned slightly.

"Umm sir, do you have money to pay for all this?" She asked skeptically, doubting that he had the funds to pay for what looked like half of the supermarket he brought to the cash register. Goku merely gave her a toothy grin.

"Yeah, of course." He said, pulling out the money he saved from the pie contest he earned. The cash lady was a little blue on the face as she couldn't believe that he could eat all that.

"Sir, why don't you get the food you need for today and come back tomorrow for more? Don't worry, this food won't go anywhere." The girl said nervously. Goku merely snickered childishly from her silly suggestion.

"Nah, I'm good. This will be just enough for a lunch." Goku said casually, flashing his signature toothy grin. But the cash lady's face was blue as she looked at him with shocked expression, not uttering a sound, sweating nervously from his blunt statement. She took him to the register away from other people, so it wouldn't end in an enormous row of people waiting for Goku to finish. Then after a good while of picking food and scanning it on cash register, he gave the money and carried the load on his back without a problem. The cash lady and two more colleagues went out to help him out.

"Sir, would you like a truck or something to help you with that?" She asked, a little concerned that he will snap his back carrying all that food.

"No, thanks. I'll just carry this home, it's a lot faster." He said casually, making his way home. The three workers merely sweat-dropped nervously and their faces were blue in shock as they watched him depart, thinking he was some kind of monster. No mere human could even lift that massive pile of food, let alone carry it like he can. They soon got back inside the marked with dumbfounded expressions.

But as soon as Goku made some distance, he realized he will get home a lot faster if he used his faithful cloud.

"FLYING NIMBUS!" Goku called out to the skies, jumping on the cloud as soon as he landed and made his way home. It took him a few minutes to reach home, but he finally arrived. Fortunately for Goku, Bulma remembered to construct a basement beneath the house, where several enormous freezers and fridges were piled up for him, knowing how ravenous his appetite was. Even as a child, he was capable of eating 57 full-course meals after his match with Jackie Chun and now that he is a young man, his appetite increased tenfold, which was something she counted on. Besides the fridges and freezers, there were also training stuff piled up in there for rainy days, but Goku didn't bother a little training on the rain, as he did that in the past back home in Mount Paozu.

He put down the massive food bag and placed it on the ground. He took what he needed to eat inside on the table and piled up the rest in the fridges and freezers for later. Then he wasted no time as he immediately gorged on his lunch, savoring every delicious bite. He didn't even pause a second to catch his breath as he devoured meat, vegetables and fruits alike.

After half an hour of pure delight, he rubbed his stomach in satisfaction, burping loudly.

"Man, that was great!" He said cheerfully, getting up slowly and stretching his arms.

He then departed in the balcony overlooking the city to catch his breath. Moments later he leaned on the fence, pondering on Maki's suggestion to come along for the contest he is organizing. He initially thought about continuing his training and amp it up a notch or two, but when he told him that Lucia and her friends will also participate, he actually thought about going there to cheer her on. He knew that it would make her immensely happy if he came, smiling at the thought. Especially now, considering in the past few days after she flew with him on his Flying Nimbus to many beautiful places that he visited, she was beaming with joy every time they were hanging out in school. But there was still two hours left before it started, so he decided to take a nap after an abundant meal and get some rest.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep beneath the ocean in Gaito's domain, Eril informed her comrades about recent events that are occurring on the surface.

"Listen up, everyone! The humans are organizing a contest for the most beautiful mermaid." Eril informed, surprising the rest of the water demons.

"What?! Seriously?!" Izure exclaimed.

"Yup, it is the information you receive from yours truly. I'm certain that the mermaid princesses will appear there." Eril said.

"I don't know. It's probably called like that, but it's actually a Miss contest." Maria said. Yuri nodded in confirmation.

"And how would you know that Maria? All you do is sit here all day, withering away." Eril taunted. Maria resented that remark.

"What did you say?" Maria frowned. Izure stepped forward towards Maria.

"So, do you really think that the mermaid princesses will appear in this contest?" Izure asked.

"That's hardly going to happen, Izure." Maria said bluntly. Even Izure was skeptical, as humans tend to give outlandish names for events that they usually organize, especially this one. Just because it's named Mermaid competition, doesn't necessarily mean that they would appear there.

Eril assumed her menacing persona at Maria's blunt remark.

"Aren't you an insolent one. I give you a valuable information and you throw it back right in the face." Eril said. Though the others already got used to her switching personas and her failures make her less menacing than usual.

"Now now, there is no need for insults." Yuri said.

"Fine then, I will participate in this event and not only capture the mermaids, but also come back with a trophy." Eril said, switching back to her other persona. "The three of you wouldn't even pass the preliminaries anyway. You are all fat and wrinkly to begin with, while I am the most beautiful of the four of us." Eril said proudly, but her ridiculous statements only got on the water demon's nerves as they growled at her.

"Okay, now you have done it, Eril!" Yuri exclaimed.

"I'm just being realistic." Eril said casually.

"Just so you know that there is a higher chance for more mature ladies, so there." Izure retorted.

"Your wild appearance is totally out, Eril." Maria also retorted. But seeing that their bickering won't lead them anywhere, Yuri decided to break the fight.

"Okay, that's enough. We will all enter this competition and settle this dilemma." Yuri said, with other three water demons nodding in agreement. All four of them had fire in their eyes as they were now pumped to win this contest, completely forgetting about the task of capturing the mermaids, adamant in their resolve to win.

* * *

Two hours later, all the preparations were complete and the competition preliminaries has commenced.

" **All the participants for the Mermaid competition please sign up at the back of the stage and wait at the changing room."** The announcer said.

Among many girls that entered the contest, all four of the water demons also went to the sign up table, already in their bathing suits.

"Thank you for participating. I see that you are already dressed, you are quite prepared for this, aren't you?" The man at the table said. The four of them merely nodded in confirmation.

"Let's see, Izurilla, Eli, Lili and Mari, is that right?" The man said, wanting to confirm their names, which were their fake aliases. The four of them again nodded.

"Great. The contestants will have to make a short speech and showcase one of their talents, so I suggest you prepare yourselves beforehand." The maid said. Yuri merely blinked in confusion of his words.

"What, a talent in mermaid competition?" Yuri asked, with man nodding in confirmation. These news were rather surprising for the four water demons. Izure, Eril and Maria already had tricks of their own to showcase using their magic, while Yuri will have to come up with something more creative and less explosive.

Meanwhile, Lucia, Hanon and Rina have already arrived, waiting at the changing room to put on their bathing suits. Nicole also entered, already in her violet bathing suit.

"So, what do you think? Not bad, right?" Nicole smiled, making a few poses to show her curvy figure, along with her bathing suit.

"Are you really going to enter the contest, sister?" Lucia said, a little confused that Nicole would also participate.

"Well, of course." Nicole smiled, eager to get things started.

"Wow, she is very ambitious. It seems that she is going for the win." Hanon laughed slightly, a little surprised, but still respected Nicole's sportsmanship. Rina, on the other hand, looked around the changing room.

"Well, with these many contestants, even changing in bathing suit will be a challenge." Rina said, realizing the number of girls that signed up and all gathered in one place. Then Hanon noticed four more competitors that are entering the room.

"Wow, look at those four girls, they look really cute." Hanon pointed at the four girls, with Lucia and Rina facing them curiously. Lucia also admitted that they looked stunning in those bathing suits. But little did they know that the four contestants were actually water demons in disguise. But with their physical features slightly altered, it was difficult for the mermaids to realize that they were actually their enemies, even for someone as perceptive as Rina.

"They must be serious if they already appeared in their bathing suits." Rina said.

But even Nicole was oblivious to this as she merely thought that they were just four among many other participants who came to win.

"That's good. It will make this contest all the more interesting." Nicole smirked, relishing in the challenge that this event promises, since many beautiful girls signed up. With no time to waste and more girls lining up to change their clothes, Lucia, Hanon and Rina also took place in the row, so they could finally enter and get on with the show.

* * *

But at the same time, not far from the changing room, a certain old man was walking nearby. He came to visit South City after he was bored of staying home all the time and decided to see what the city has to offer. He was wearing black suit with hat, sunglasses and walking stick.

But then he noticed a couple of beautiful ladies walking inside. He drooled as he watched their pretty faces and curvy bodies, most notably their breasts.

"Oh ho ho, this city's youth is abundant. I might need to… help them change their clothes." The old man said lecherously. With curiosity overtaking him, he peeped through the plastic window above the curtains, watching many girls in bathing suits, laughing lecherously as he thoroughly enjoyed the view. They were all beautiful, some had big breasts, some had big butts, and some have both. He had a small nosebleed from the sight, immediately taking handkerchief to clean his nose.

"Oh yeah, baby! Look at all the beauuutiful ladies." He said, grinning widely. He had a vivid imagination in his head, illustrating it with his hands as he imagined motor-boating one woman's large breasts. He continued to enjoy the view until a very large woman approached him.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing, old man?!" The woman said in a loud and threatening voice. The old man's face went blue at the sight.

"Oh, nothing. I was just cheering for my… granddaughter! Yeah, I'm here as a moral support." He said, laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his head. But the woman was not buying his story as she frowned.

"You came to cheer her on in a changing room?" She said in a low voice full of threat. The old man started to back up a little, not realizing that he wasn't standing next to the curtains and slowly entering the changing room.

"Yes! I mean no. What I mean to say was…" He was trying to finish his sentence, while also wanting to lean against a wall, but much to his misfortune, he grabbed a girl's breast by accident, making him turn around slowly, seeing a girl with embarrassed expression.

But at the same time, it was finally Lucia's turn to change into her bathing suit. She entered the cabinet and closed the curtains, so no one could watch her change.

"Man, who would have thought that it would take an eternity just to change your clothes?" Rina thought, rubbing her cheek. She understood that there are many girls here who want to win, but it really doesn't take that long to change in bathing suit.

But then, both of them heard a scream.

"YOU PERVERT!" The girl screamed, giving the old man a loud slap to the face, knocking him off balance, his face pressed between the breasts of another girl. The other girl also screamed as she covered her breasts, but not before she sent a painful slap of her own.

"It was an accident, I swear!" The old man tried to come up with an excuse, but with so many girls inside, he kept bumping his face on their breasts or trying to recover by grabbing onto something, though his hand, against his will, always found its way to another girl's breast or butt. He kept receiving one painful slap after another, soon seeing stars on his face. He was walking wobbly, trying to compose himself. He tried to stay on his feet, but he fell off balance and grabbed on a curtain which was, by chance, Lucia's changing cabinet.

The old man rubbed his face for the painful slaps to subside.

"Darn it. This youth today, no proper respect." He said in slight pain. But then he looked behind him to a beautiful blonde girl who was going to change her clothes. The girl frowned in a threatening manner.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing?!" Lucia said angrily. But the old man feared for another painful slap as he immediately sprinted outside. "COME BACK HERE!" She shouted, putting on her clothes and chasing after him, with Rina and Hanon following suit.

* * *

Meanwhile, after a good nap, Goku made his way to the contest to cheer Lucia on.

"This contest should be interesting. I can't wait to see how Lucia will perform, I bet it would be awesome!" Goku said to himself. Even though he knew this won't be a contest in martial arts, he was still ecstatic to see how Lucia and her friends will fare when they step on the stage. But as he was about to turn right, he didn't expect that the old man was sprinting to run away from the angry mob, about to collide with him. He yelped as he was caught completely by surprise.

*SLAM!*

Goku and the old man slammed into each other full force. Goku whined as he was rubbing the pain on his head.

"Oww!" He whined before he frowned at the unknown person. "Watch where you are going! That hurt, you know!" He exclaimed.

"I could say the same thing to you!" The old man exclaimed. But then, both Goku and the old man were caught in complete surprise as they looked at each other's faces. Goku was more surprised of the two, as he couldn't believe that he would bump on his old master, of all people.

"Master Roshi?!" Goku exclaimed, his eyes wide in surprise. It couldn't be anyone but Roshi, as he had that trademark white beard and sunglasses and black suit that he was wearing in both martial arts tournaments when he was watching them.

"Master?" Roshi said, confused at this young man calling him master. But he looked extremely familiar, especially when he was wearing his uniform and having that spiky hair.

Goku smiled widely and laughed childishly at seeing Roshi again, immeasurably happy to see him alive again.

"It is you!" Goku exclaimed, helping him get up. "Man, I'm so happy to see you again, Master Roshi!" Goku said cheerfully. It took Roshi a few moments to put together missing pieces, but then his face was filled with shock as he recognized him.

"Goku! Is that really you?!" Roshi said, completely shocked that this tall, young man could be him. Goku laughed childishly by his silly question.

"Of course it's me, who else would I be?" Goku said light-heartedly. Roshi soon composed himself, but still couldn't believe at how much he changed.

"Wow, I don't believe it. You have completely changed. I swear, if you didn't had that wild hair, I would have thought you were someone else entirely." He said. Goku laughed again. It was the only thing he could do, as he was immensely happy to see him again.

"Yeah, I guess so." He said, rubbing the back of his head. It was truly a joyous day to see him alive, as he heard from Korin that King Piccolo killed him in the past, much to his dismay. He figured that his friends would use the Dragon Balls to revive him and all of his friends killed by King Piccolo, but still, seeing him alive and well in person brought great joy to him.

"Hold it right there!" Lucia suddenly shouted from behind. Roshi's face was blue as he watched them charging at him like a freight train, taking a few steps back. But Goku was oblivious at what happened moments ago as he merely greeted the girls.

"Oh hi Lucia." He waved, greeting her with bright smile. Then his face was filled with confusion "What's wrong, are you guys chasing someone?" He asked curiously with an innocent expression.

As soon as Lucia noticed Goku, she came to a screeching halt as she looked at the same old man behind him. She wanted to strangle him for being such a pervert, but since Goku was around, that would be bad for her, so she decided to play dumb.

"No one, Goku. We were just in a rush, that's all." Lucia laughed nervously, waving her hands in front of him. Hanon and Rina looked at each other with confused expressions.

"Who is this old man behind you? Is he a friend of yours?" Lucia asked politely, trying to be as nice as possible, without Goku thinking she was crazy or something. Roshi was also confused. For a moment there, he thought he was a goner, but strangely, thanks to Goku, that wasn't the case.

But Goku, on the other hand, was more than glad to introduce his old master.

"Yeah, this is Master Roshi. He was my first teacher, besides my grandpa. I trained with him when I was a kid." He said cheerfully, proud to have such a powerful fighter as his teacher. But Lucia was shocked that this lecherous old man was actually his teacher, looking at him with eyes wide.

" _Who would have thought that this pervert is actually a martial arts master?"_ Rina thought, standing behind Lucia. She was rather confused by Lucia's sudden change of attitude, but then again, she always mellows down whenever Goku is around.

Roshi decided to play along as well, bowing down his head slightly in greetings.

"It's pleasure to meet you, young ladies. I assume you are Goku's friends?" Roshi smiled, though with genuine smile and not the lecherous one this time.

"Yes. My name is Lucia Nanami." She then gestured to her best friends. "And these are my friends, Hanon and Rina. It's nice to meet you." Lucia said. Though in Rina's and Hanon's minds, they weren't really glad to meet him at the moment, considering he was ogling at girls changing in bathing suits.

"Likewise." Roshi said. Then Lucia looked lovingly at Goku, with Goku returning the gesture with bright, happy smile. Much to Roshi's pleasant surprise, he glanced at Lucia and Goku as he knew those looks all too well, raising his eyebrow in interest. He wasn't surprised in Lucia's case, but he was rather surprised to notice that similar look in Goku's expression.

He never expected these turn of events. He had known Goku ever since he was but a small child. He was always known for his cheerful personality and his positive attitude towards everything, especially in fighting. But that particular look was new to him, at least when it comes to Goku. It was that look that wasn't as usual as the one he gives to all of his friends that he met. It was that special, genuine smile, which only indicated that he actually cares about this girl. And it was the smile that came from heart. It was too soon for Roshi to say that Goku fell in love with this girl, but he can say for sure that Goku is definitely treading on that path and he was glad for it.

* * *

After a few minutes, Goku and Roshi went for a walk to make some distance from the noise that was coming from the stage, wanting to catch up for lost time. There were many contestants that are going on stage before Lucia, so Goku has time to spare with his old master.

"Well Goku, I did not expect to find you here of all places. I thought that you were still training with Kami." Roshi said, staring at the sea. Goku was slightly surprised that Roshi knew this information.

"How do you know that I was training with Kami?" Goku asked curiously.

"Bulma told me after she used the Dragon Balls to revive me and everyone else that was killed by King Piccolo." Roshi then turned towards Goku. "By the way, I can't thank you enough for reviving me, Goku. You truly are the best pupil and friend a master could ever have." Roshi thanked Goku from the bottom of his heart. Goku merely smiled.

"I'm just glad to see you alive again, Master Roshi." He said. Then he remembered something else. "Oh, what about Krillin? Was he brought back to life too?" He asked, wanting to know the answer. Roshi smiled and nodded in confirmation.

"Yep, Krillin is alive too. After he was resurrected, he went to travel the world to train and get stronger, along with Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu." Roshi explained. Goku got excited when he heard the news.

"Really?! That's awesome, I can't wait to meet them at the tournament again and see how strong they have become!" Goku said, pumped up and eager to fight them, thrilled to find out what they have learned all this time.

"About that, I thought you were going to stay with Kami to train with him until the tournament begins. What brings you here in South City?" Roshi asked curiously.

"Well, turns out I finished my training with Kami a lot sooner. I learned all that I could from him and Mr. Popo and decided to continue my training back on Earth until the tournament starts." Goku explained.

"I understand, but why here of all places? If that was the case, my first guess would have been in Mount Paozu where Gohan lived." Roshi said.

"Well, I would have trained there too, but Bulma told me she gave me a fancy house as a gift for saving her so many times when we were hunting the Dragon Balls." He said before he pouted. "But I never would have guessed that she would sign me up in a boring school." He complained. Though in the back of his head, he was glad that she did. If it was the opposite, then he never would have met Lucia and all of his friends in class.

Roshi was surprised to hear that, though it did sound funny a bit.

"Bulma enrolled you in school?" Roshi asked.

"Yeah. She was really mad that day, she told me that the reason why she did is because I couldn't tell a boy from a girl without touching their private areas." He pouted, folding his arms in complaint. Roshi got a good laugh from that.

"I see that Gohan never taught you the difference. You must have been in a whole lot of trouble if you had to make a difference in such manner." He said, joking on Goku's account. He felt slightly bad, because he was his pupil, but that's just hilarious.

"No, he never did. Bulma was the first girl I ever met in person. Grandpa told me about the girls and to be as polite as possible with them, but I never met a girl before she came along." He said, looking towards the sea. Roshi turned toward Goku.

"Speaking of girls, what do you think about that blonde girl, Lucia?" Roshi smiled. Goku turned to Roshi, a little confused from his sudden question.

"What about her, Master Roshi?" Goku asked, looking at Roshi with typical blank innocent stare.

"She seems to be quite interested in you. Are you sure that you and her are friends?" Roshi teased.

"Oh come on, not you too! We are just friends!" He whined, much to Roshi's amusement. It was bad enough that Bulma constantly teased him about Lucia, but now Roshi had to tag along for it.

Roshi again laughed in amusement because he knew better.

"If you say so, Goku. By the way, she should be appearing on stage by now. I think you should go and cheer her on." Roshi said before looking at the sea again. "I'm going to stay here a little while, I'll join you soon."

Goku soon composed himself and departed to watch her in action.

"Okay. See ya later." He waved goodbye and left.

Then Roshi frowned slightly as he had flashback about Lucia girl that he met. It wasn't the first time that he encountered her. In fact, the first time he saw her was early in the morning.

 _He was strolling along the way, as he was usually doing before the sunrise. As he was taking in the scenery of the horizon towards the sea, he noticed a certain blonde girl standing on the rock, wandering what could she be doing this early._

" _What a beautiful morning. I might even go for a swim." Lucia said cheerfully._

 _She turned to see if there was anyone around, with Roshi hiding from sight for the time being. What surprised him the most is that after she jumped in the water with her clothes on, her appearance completely changed. Her hair color was brighter and had two long pigtails. When she dived in the water, he was more surprised to discover that the girl was actually a mermaid._

He had seen several mermaids over his long lifespan, besides the one that Goku brought to him for a stroll around the island, but he also knew of the hitch that comes with their human identities. For that reason, he was pondering on whether he should tell Goku about that or let him discover by himself. He guessed that Goku hasn't figured it out yet, knowing how dense he can be, so for the time being, he decided to let things play out by itself until he decides otherwise.

* * *

A few minutes later, Goku arrived just in time for the next contestant to appear. Turns out that it was Hanon who stepped on the stage to show what she got. She was Lucia's best friend, so he cheered her on as well, along with Madame Taki and Maki, who were standing next to him.

"Hello. I am Hanon Hosho, number 35. I am going to illustrate… real aikido martial arts." Hanon said.

Goku was surprised to hear that. He didn't know that people can fight in this contest. This raised his interest towards the competition higher than before. Also, he never knew that Hanon was proficient in martial arts, so he watched her illustrate her skills with great interest and excitement.

Though it was a short demonstration as Hanon thrashed the other two aikido fighters around, showing what she could do. It lasted for about a minute before they stopped and bow to the audience. Lucia sweat-dropped from her awkward performance.

"Umm, that doesn't look like Aikido to me." She said. She had seen Goku doing a bit of that during his training, so that's why she could slightly tell.

"She must have learned it from some fighting club that practice on the beach." Hippo added

Among the crowd, Goku was thoroughly disappointed that it lasted for an extremely short time.

"Aww, that's it? I thought it would last a lot longer." Goku pouted in disappointment. Maki laughed from his statement.

"This is not about fighting, Goku. This is merely a Miss. Contest, a show to determine which girl is prettier. Also, judges determine their performance as well when they show off their talents." Maki explained, making things much clearer for Goku.

"Oohhh, that makes sense." Goku smiled, looking back at the stage.

" **And now, next contestant, please!"** The announcer said. Back at the stage, Lucia was preparing to step in.

"Oh, that's me." She said, taking Hippo with her, much to the penguin's surprise. "Hippo, I'm going to need your help." She said. Hippo tried to run back, but it was too late as they were already on the stage.

"Do your best, Lucia!" Goku cheered her on, making her blush slightly as she immediately noticed him with that goofy smile on his face. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him and her heart warmed immensely. He actually came to cheer her on. What she is about to show may not be impressive, but she promised to herself that she will not fail Goku, giving her a confidence boost to win this contest.

"Hello everyone. I am Lucia Nanami, number 36. I am going to talk with my mouth closed." She smiled.

"Alright, im going to close my mouth and you are going to say something, okay? We can win this." Lucia said to Hippo, but not loud enough for audience to hear.

"What? You could have told me sooner, you know." Hippo said, also in low voice.

"Hello. I am little Hippo." Lucia said, already making the audience doubt about her performance.

"Hey, your mouth is moving!" One in the audience said. Hippo is starting to get more nervous from this embarrassing predicament.

"It won't work, please let me go." Hippo said desperately, begging for Lucia to let him go and save whats left of his pride.

"Stop squirming around, Hippo." Lucia said. But, much to their surprise, the audience actually bought her second grade acting.

"You are great, it's like that penguin is really talking." Another man in the audience complimented, resulting in applause from everyone else. Both Lucia and Hippo were really surprised that their little stunt actually worked.

"Look, Miss. Lucia. They love you." Hippo said, much to Lucia's joy. In the audience, Goku laughed nervously and sweat-dropped at the result of her silly display, scratching his chin. He was glad that she got positive results, but it was in a rather strange way.

The contest proceeded with everyone showcasing their own talents. Rina came up with something simple, like talking about a joke about sprinting mermaid or a mermaid who is actually a girl half devoured by giant fish.

Then it was Nicole's turn to show off some of her cooking skills, much to Goku's surprise.

"Hello, I am Nicole, number 38. I am going to show you how to cook a 3 minute recipe for blue eggplant pie. It's perfect for stimulating nutrients in hot days and also for those who don't have patience to wait." She said, already finished with her eggplant pie. "Here we go." Nicole smiled. The audience applauded in turn.

Goku started to drool at the sight of a pie, he could smell it all the way from the front row.

"Oh boy, It smells delicious. I wouldn't mind having a pie or two." Goku said, his stomach starting to growl at the sight of tasty food in front of him. But from the corner of the stage, he noticed Lucia pouting angrily at Goku, making him wince and having shade of blue on his face. He then laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Lucia shook her head in slight amusement. Typical Goku.

From the other side of the stage, the water demons were not impressed from the display so far.

"Wow, they really came prepared, didn't they?" Izure said sarcastically.

"Truthfully, out of all of us, I have the biggest chance of winning this contest." Eril said, but that statement went over Izure's and Yuri's heads.

"Pff, speak for yourself." Yuri said. Maria merely sweat-dropped by their behavior.

"I don't know why are you taking this contest so seriously?" Maria said. But her question was ignored completely, as the other three water demons focused on winning.

It was now Izure's turn to enter the stage. At first glance, Goku noticed that she looks very familiar. Her long, red hair and her somewhat familiar face.

"Hi, my artist name is Izurilla and I perform some of the water tricks." She said. Then she conjured small water dragons in her arms, also making poses while doing it. But Goku was even more in doubt by her display.

" _Hmm, she does look very familiar. And those water dragons look extremely familiar too."_ Goku thought, frowning. Just so he could be sure and she wasn't the one who he thinks she was, he sensed her energy. Much to his shock, her energy signature is the one from that water demon, Izure.

" _What? What is she doing here?"_ Goku thought in shock. Then he sensed three more power levels at the back of the stage, which were the remaining water demons.

" _Great, it seems they just appear about everywhere. What are they up to this time?"_ He thought with serious expression. He knew they pose no threat to him, but if they turn on the crowd, then it would mean a lot of trouble. But seeing that they are not attacking at the moment, he decided to remain passive for the time being and not cause panic.

Soon enough, it was Eril's turn to show her own skills, which were just making face grimaces. Maria stepped in afterwards, conjuring small ice balls and joggled with them.

Then it was Yuri's turn to go. Since she didn't think of anything original, she had the idea of quoting the mermaid princesses' lines from their battles.

"How about an encore?" Yuri said. The crowd merely looked silently in confusion, possibly looking at one of the awful performances so far. Yuri sweat-dropped at this awkward situation.

" _Strange. Maybe they don't know the mermaids well enough. How about this?"_ Yuri thought, continuing with her quoting.

"Loving power of the mermaids!" Yuri quoted, making another pose. Still nothing, audience still silent as graveyard.

Back in the stage, Lucia, Hanon and Rina also sweat-dropped by her terrible performance. But what caught their attention the most is her lines which they often use in their battles against the water demons. Lucia turned towards Hanon and Rina.

"How does she even know all that?" Lucia asked.

"Don't tell me she is…" Hanon stopped mid-sentence.

"A water demon." Rina finished.

"What could she be possibly doing here?" Lucia asked again.

"Impossible!" Rina exclaimed, making Hanon and Lucia turn to her in slight surprise. "I don't believe it. She wants the reward too." She said. This kind of answer made Hanon face palm herself.

"Ignoring, ignoring, ignoring." Lucia said repeatedly, trying to reject Rina's ridiculous answer from her head.

Later that day, after everyone illustrated what they can do at the stage, by the decision of the judges, the number of competitors was narrowed down to nine contestants, consisting of Lucia, Hanon, Rina, Nicole, all four of the water demons and an unknown, but beautiful girl with long purple hair with yellow bathing suit.

" **Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. And now, let's see which one among these nine beautiful finalists will be wearing a victor's crown."** The announcer said.

"The girls behind us are all pretty, I can see why are they all so eager for first place." Nicole said sincerely. But Lucia merely nodded, sweat-dropping a bit from her naivety.

" _If only she knew they are the water demons."_ Lucia thought. Ever since their discovery, all three of them were on high alert for any subtle action that the four might make. Even Goku was at the ready as well within the crowd the moment he discovered their true identities. Even at this very moment, he dreaded that they wouldn't turn on all the innocent people in the audience, more so if they turn their malicious powers at Lucia and her friends on stage.

" _What are they up to?"_ Hanon thought, frowning at Maria.

" _There is no way I'm letting her steal_ _ **my**_ _TV."_ Rina thought, frowning at Yuri.

But as for Izure, she growled loudly and was seething with rage as she noticed Roshi flirting with stage attendant girl from her left side. She, along with Maria, was one of the unfortunate girls in the changing room whom their breasts were grabbed by Roshi during his little show. She was restrained that time so she wouldn't blow her cover, along with her comrades, but now she didn't care anymore as her rage was overflowing.

"YOU ARE DEAD, OLD MAN!" Izure screamed, pointing at old master. Roshi's face was blue as he winced and stepped back a few steps.

Goku immediately looked to the right to notice his teacher standing there.

"Roshi?" Goku said in surprise. Then he frowned as he noticed all four of the water demons charging at Roshi.

Roshi immediately started to run away from their wrath, believing that they were just normal girls with unbridled fury. He was always afraid that his shenanigans will get him killed and it seems that day has come.

"Come back here!" Maria exclaimed, chasing after the old man.

Goku frowned at the situation. He knew that Roshi was a powerful fighter and that he could easily deal with all four of those Dark Lovers, judging by their power levels, but still, he didn't want to take any chances as he rushed to the other side of the stage away from people, so he could call for his Flying Nimbus and chase them.

As for Lucia, Hanon and Rina, they wasted no time as they nodded to each other and immediately followed suit, running as fast as they can to catch up with Goku's teacher and their enemies, the Dark Lovers.

The Dark Lovers still chased Roshi, where they cornered him near the stone passage leading to the sea.

"Now now ladies, how about I treat you with some delicacies, like Sponge cake maybe?" Roshi said nervously, backing up step by step as the four wicked and angry women approach him slowly. But his offer didn't even faze them.

"Umm, Cheese cake maybe?" He laughed nervously. But as they were getting closer, he was on very edge to fall on water. Without even noticing it, he lost balance and fell down in water. The water demons grinned maliciously as they have him right where they want him. All four of them jumped in the water to finish the job.

"Now you are going to get it, old man! Take this!" Izure exclaimed, being the first one to attack. But Roshi managed to compose himself as he narrowly dodged her attacks, much to their surprise. Izure continued with her assault, but Roshi managed to dodge her attacks effortlessly, realizing that these girls are not ordinary human beings.

Just as he was about to propel himself at them, Eril managed to immobilize him with enchanted seaweed.

"Not bad, old man, but it would take a lot more than that to beat us." Maria said, sending ice blasts that made him lose his breath with every hit.

"And now, for the finishing move!" Yuri exclaimed, with Eril joining her and sending a combined shockwave with enough force to send him flying backwards, making him lose what little breath he held and slowly losing his consciousness due to the lack of oxygen. But before he passed out, a blonde mermaid caught him from behind, giving him a genuine smile.

" _What? It's that…"_ He thought. But before he could finish that sentence, he passed out.

He woke up quickly afterwards as the mermaid immediately brought him back to the shore, but closed his eyes still. He could sense the mermaid's energy near him, so he decided to read her mind and discover if his claims were true, not wanting to waste this opportunity.

What he had seen surprised him the most. With his enhanced mind reading, he was able to see till the point where she and Goku met the first time seven years ago. He didn't know that the mermaid that he talked about saving him was actually her.

Then he saw day at the beach where Goku is training, then everything else that followed. Her moments with Goku on dates, her feelings towards him, her battles against evil beings called the water demons, then of a great battle between Goku and one called Gaito and every bit of information regarding about Goku.

" _I see."_ He thought before he finished with his technique and opened his eyes slowly.

"Sir, are you alright? Say something." The mermaid asked, worried that he wasn't hurt. But Roshi didn't have a scratch on him from that assault, he merely forgot to control his breathing and lost breath underwater quickly.

"Lucia, hurry! Rina is all alone against the water demons!" Hanon exclaimed, urging Lucia to quickly go to Rina's aid, though not realizing that Roshi was conscious enough to hear the mermaid's name.

"Lucia?" Roshi said, looking at the mermaids as they were diving in the water. His claims were confirmed after all, Goku's friend Lucia and that mermaid are one and the same. But before he could ponder on it any further…

"Master Roshi!" Goku exclaimed, calling out from his Flying Nimbus in the sky. He soon immediately jumped down near him.

"What happened, are you alright?" Goku asked worryingly.

"Oh it's nothing, I just had a little swim in the water." Roshi played dumb, cleaning his sunglasses and squeezing some water from his clothing, thought Goku was not entirely convinced, knowing how cunning those Dark Lovers can be.

"Are you positive?" Goku asked.

"Of course, I jumped in the water to escape that angry mob and as soon as they left, I got out." He lied, though it was kinda obvious to Goku. He fought those witches before and they had some tricky techniques up their sleeve. But seeing Roshi without a scratch only meant that he probably beat them and decided to remain silent, believing that he was too modest to talk about it. Goku merely dropped the subject and smiled, relieved that he wasn't hurt, thought he didn't doubt in his former master's abilities.

"Now what do you say we head back to the contest and see who is the winner?" Roshi suggested.

"Sure." Goku nodded, following Roshi back to the stage, though not before he scanned his near surroundings for any sign of those water demons ambushing. Though he didn't know that they, along with mermaids, have made some distance so far, so that's why he didn't even bother to sense further away than his current position.

As for Roshi, he decided not to reveal Lucia's identity to Goku after all, knowing of the repercussions that come with it, though he will have a little talk with Lucia when she comes back.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lucia, Hanon and Rina were ready to confront the Dark Lovers as one.

"So, all three of you have finally shown up." Izure frowned.

"You will not beat us this time." Maria said

"Well, you sure are numerous today." Hanon said, noticing that all four of them decided to fight as one for once.

"What even made you enter this contest anyway?" Lucia asked curiously.

"It was because we were certain you would show up. Did you really think that we signed up for contest alone?" Eril said. Izure, Maria and Yuri narrowed their eyes and looked at Eril in sarcastic way. Just a while ago, she was bragging about winning and now she claims she did it to capture the mermaids.

"Just because we are the mermaids, doesn't mean we need to show up at something like mermaid competition." Hanon said.

"And yet, we did." Rina said, narrowing her eyes slightly. Lucia and Hanon sweat-dropped from Rina's statement, making them laugh nervously.

"Okay, I guess that slipped right out." Lucia said before all three of the mermaids frowned in seriousness and assumed their Idol Forms. The Dark Lovers, unfortunately, didn't come up with any special tactic, relying on their usual abilities to beat them.

"All four of you will now learn to respect your elders." Lucia said.

"Live for you, Mermaid Voice!" The three mermaids said simultaneously, starting to sing a song called Starlight.

"The stars are shining  
my hidden wishes  
The more of you are there,  
easier for them to hear of me"

The four water demons were petrified in place, their powers nullified and writhing in pain from their singing. They cursed themselves for not attacking immediately instead of blabbering like idiots.

"When the storm is brewing for hours  
When rain is not ceasing for many days  
Hold my hand and then a miracle will happen."

"Come and see what i am capable of  
Light and the darkness hide words with skill  
All the love im giving now to you  
Gives me the will to be ready for a new day."

"Loving power of the mermaids!" The three mermaids said simultaneously as they pointed at the water demons, signifying their finishing move and sending an immense amount of pain to them, knocking them back a few yards.

"How about an encore?" The three mermaids said, gesturing to continue their singing.

The three water demons retreated to Gaito's castle, while Yuri stayed behind, trying to imitate the mermaid's poses, much to their utter confusion.

"Live for you, Mermaid Voice _._ Loving power of the mermaids! _"_ Yuri quoted their lines and gestured their moves in almost a mocking manner. The three mermaids could only stare at her in confusion. Lucia and Hanon cringed as they looked at each other, stupefied by her utterly terrible impression.

"Now I know, watch this. 'How about an encore?'" Yuri said, gesturing her hand forward. The three mermaids asked themselves inwardly if one of them have finally lost their minds from all that beating.

"Excuse me?" Lucia said, not knowing exactly what to say to… whatever Yuri is doing at the moment.

"The next we meet, you _will_ going to suffer. Until next time." Yuri said before she too departed, making the three mermaids sweat drop from her not so serious statement after her little stunt.

"I bet it's pretty popular for them to imitate the mermaids." Rina said bluntly, folding her hands.

"I really hope it isn't." Lucia and Hanon said simultaneously, both sharing the same sentiment. It would be rather weird to fight them in the future if they are going to repeat their quotes in battle. With nothing left to do and wanting to just forget about these few minutes of pure awkwardness, they departed to meet back with Goku and Roshi.

* * *

Meanwhile, even though Lucia and her friends were not there, much to his surprise, only two competitors remained, due to the Dark Lovers going rampant on Roshi and unknown to him, the mermaids followed suit.

" **Unfortunately, due to the recent events, there has been a delay in declaring the winner. But it is my pleasure to announce that the winner is number 26!"** The announcer said. The purple-haired girl won first place, putting on the victor's crown and robe and holding the plasma TV. As for Nicole, she won the second place, much to her disappointment.

"So Nicole, what did you get for second place?" Madame Taki smiled.

"Well… Bag of dried shitaki mushrooms." Nicole said, much to Taki's delight. Now that the prizes were delivered, the two departed back to the hotel.

At the same time, Goku and Roshi also departed.

"I wonder where did Lucia, Hanon and Rina go. It's strange that they disappeared like that." Goku said, wandering why they left at the eve of the competition.

"Yes, it is strange, isn't it?" Roshi added, knowing the answer to his question. Goku merely looked at him in confusion, wandering where he is going with that question.

"Goku!" a familiar voice called out to him in front of him. He looked to find Lucia, Hanon and Rina going back to the stage.

"Hey, Lucia!" Goku smiled, getting closer to meet up with them. "Where did you all go? I thought you were going to stay until the end on the contest." Goku asked curiously, looking at them blankly.

"Well, we had a little emergency and we had to go. Sorry." Lucia said nervously, trying to conceal their recent fight against the water demons. But Roshi was not so naïve, as he knew fully well of what happened.

"Can I have a word with you in private, young lady?" Roshi asked Lucia. She looked at him curiously, slightly surprised from his sudden question.

"Umm, sure." Lucia nodded, following the old master. Goku, Hanon and Rina also looked at him curiously, asking themselves on what could Roshi want with Lucia all of a sudden.

Roshi and Lucia made some distance from the three so they wouldn't hear them. Then they stopped and Roshi turned towards Lucia.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Lucia asked with innocent look on her face, worried that she didn't do something wrong.

"Not really, I just wanted to talk to you about something, specifically about Goku." Roshi said. Lucia blushed slightly at the mention of his name.

"Huh, what about Goku?" Lucia asked curiously. Roshi smiled by her reaction to the subject.

"Listen child, I may not be expert when it comes to romance, but I notice that you see Goku as more than just a friend. You like him, don't you?" Roshi asked.

"What?!" Lucia squealed girlishly in embarrassment, blushing even more. Roshi laughed light-heartedly from her reaction.

"Your face says it all. Nothing to be embarrassed about, it's completely natural." Roshi smiled before his face was somewhat serious. "However, that is no excuse for you to reveal your identity to anyone, even Goku." Roshi warned. Lucia's heart skipped a beat from his statement, fearing that he knows.

"My identity?" Lucia asked reluctantly.

"Yes, I know that you are a mermaid under a human disguise, fighting evil forces beneath the sea along with your friends over there, Hanon and Rina." Roshi revealed. Lucia was completely shocked by this revelation.

"But how?! How do you know all that?!" Lucia exclaimed, dumbfounded that this old man knows so much.

"Pure minds are like an open book, Lucia. They are easy to read if you know how." Roshi grinned. Lucia's face went blue as she feared the worst.

"Please sir, don't tell Goku any of this! Then I will…" Lucia pleaded until she was cut short mid-sentence by Roshi.

"Turn into a sea foam. Yes, I know of the hitch that comes along the human disguises for the mermaids. But I don't think that rule applies if they find out for themselves, like I did." Then Roshi smiled. "But don't worry, your secret is safe with me." He said, making Lucia sigh in relief.

"I have to say, you and Goku share many similar qualities, you two would made a perfect couple." Rosh smiled, making Lucia blush immensely, silently tapping her index fingers. Roshi was glad that Goku has a potential possible girlfriend like her with untainted mind and heart.

"Yes, I have known Goku even since he was but a small child, always so energetic and carefree. He has been like this since the first time I met him and till this day, aside from his physical appearance, he hasn't changed at all." He smiled, looking at Goku who is talking to Hanon and Rina and laughing.

"And aside from that, he is truly an extraordinary person. His power is unbelievable. Even I had difficulty fighting him when he first entered the World Martial Arts Tournament years ago." He said, remembering his fight with Goku under the guise of Jackie Chun. Lucia was surprised to hear it.

"Really? You fought him in the tournament?" Lucia asked.

"Yes, but I'd like for you to keep that little detail a secret from him, because I was fighting him in disguise." Roshi explained.

"Ooohh." Lucia said, now things being clearer to her. Then Roshi continued.

"But then again, I don't have to tell you, since you have seen for yourself how powerful he has become and what a special person he truly is." Roshi said. Lucia smiled gently and looked at Goku lovingly, which confirmed Roshi's claims.

Roshi had a point, since she witnesses his power in battle firsthand, demonstrating higher levels of power with every fight. She was especially amazed at his fighting abilities when he fought Gaito in her kingdom, completely dominating the king of Panthalassa until the latter used his curse to weaken Goku. But during the battle, he managed to get back into the fight and defeat him.

But it wasn't his power or fighting skills that attracted her to Goku, it was his personality. He is like a gentle giant that wouldn't hurt a fly. He only fights to protect those he cares about and he always looks things from positive side of view. She loves how he always tries to cheer her up and see her smile, he either mellows down when she is sad or when she is angry he always looked so nervous and tried to calm her down, making him look adorable in both cases, despite his obvious naivety and being dense for most things, especially for romance.

Roshi too turned to look at Goku.

"As I said, I'm a fighter, just like Goku, but in all my years of knowing the boy, I have never seen him _this_ happy. It's like he is a different person. And as far as I noticed, he is like this whenever he is around you." He said. Lucia was surprised to hear that as she turned towards Roshi.

"Really?" Lucia said, filling her heart with hope that Goku was not as dense as she thought.

"Oh yes, this is a change that I never expected from him. He never showed any sign of love towards any girl until now. Though it's understandable, he was but a child, completely innocent and devoid of any negative thoughts." He said before he looked at Lucia. "Still, even though he has grown into a young man, somehow you managed to stir his emotions. He simply beams with joy whenever he hangs out with you." He said, glancing towards Goku, with Lucia doing the same, with every single word boosting her confidence and belief that they might be together sooner than she expected.

"It's too soon to say that he fell in love with you, but he is definitely treading on that path." He turned toward Lucia. "In other words, he likes you too." Roshi smiled.

Lucia's happiness skyrocketed as even tears of joy started to appear in her eyes, staring lovingly at the love of her live.

" _Goku."_ Lucia thought. Noticing Lucia's next course of action, Roshi decided to intervene.

"But…" He said, with Lucia turning her attention to Roshi. "… I don't want you to tell him that. Right now, he is conflicting with his own emotions and you telling him that will only makes things worse, not better." He frowned before he smiled afterwards. "When it comes to Goku, you can only let time take its course. Keep doing what you have done so far, throw subtle hints to him and he will realize it eventually." He advised. Lucia merely smiled to him.

"Thank you sir for your support, it means so much to me." Lucia bowed in respect.

"Im glad I helped. Now how about we head back to the others? They are probably getting impatient by now." Roshi smiled, with Lucia nodding in agreement. She never expected that a lecherous old man like him would be so kind and wise, aside from being a fighter like Goku. But she was thankful to him for giving her confidence to keep trying to get through Goku's thick skull and make him realize that she is the mermaid he likes.

* * *

The rest of the day passed quickly. The mermaids returned to their hotel, getting to know Roshi better before two fighters escorted the mermaids to the Pearl Hotel, with Roshi going to Goku's house to talk about all the adventures before the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament.

The next morning, Goku and Lucia escorted Roshi to the ship leading towards the sea.

"You know it wasn't necessary to escort me, Goku. You can always come visit me on my island." Roshi smiled.

"Yeah I know, but school will start in an hour, so why not?" Goku smiled. The word 'school' was like a comedy joke of a sort for Roshi, at least in Goku's case, especially when he was wearing that uniform.

"Looking sharp in that uniform, Goku." Roshi laughed. He got used to always seeing Goku in his fighting uniform, so it's funny to see him in school uniform. Goku merely loosened his collar in annoyance.

"I wish I could wear my own clothes, this shirt is so uncomfortable." Goku whined. Lucia giggled a bit from his whining.

"I think you look handsome in that uniform." Lucia commented. Goku laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"You think so? Thanks." Goku said. Roshi merely smiled, seeing that these two will definitely go far.

"Well, It's time for me to go, I'll be seeing you at the tournament, Goku, so train hard until then." He said. Goku nodded in agreement.

"Sure." Goku said confidently. Roshi then turned towards Lucia.

"It was nice to meet you, Lucia. Take care of this big goof for me." Roshi joked, making all three of them laugh in unison from Roshi's silly statement.

"Of course." Lucia said. She smiled at the thought, a promise that she intends to keep. Even though Goku is vastly superior in strength and skill, she will still look after him.

Soon Roshi entered the ship and it departed. Goku and Lucia waved goodbye to him.

"See ya Master Roshi!" Goku exclaimed cheerfully.

"Bye!" Lucia said, waving her hands in the air. After the ship made some distance, the two of them departed to school.

"Well, he is a really nice person." Lucia said to Goku.

"Yeah, kinda goofy, but he is great teacher." Goku smiled before he turned to Lucia. "Did you know that he also trained my grandpa?" Goku said. Lucia was rather amazed to hear that.

"Seriously?" Lucia said.

"Yeah. Along with…" Goku and Lucia continued with their conversation all the way to the school, not much in a rush and taking a sweet walk, with Goku and Lucia talking and laughing along the way.

* * *

It took the couple less than an hour to reach school grounds. At the same time, Hanon and Rina have already arrived, a little ahead of Goku and Lucia.

"Hanon, Rina, good morning!" Lucia exclaimed, waving at them. The two mermaids stopped to greet them.

"Good morning guys, how's it going?" Hanon asked.

"Well, we went to the docks to escort Mr. Roshi and then we went together to school." Lucia said, with Goku nodding in confirmation. Then his stomach started to growl, scratching his chin in embarrassment and making Lucia giggle cutely.

"Sorry, I haven't eaten anything since I woke up. I'm gonna go and get a bite to eat, so see ya later."

"See ya in the classroom, Goku." Lucia said. Now that there are three of them, Hanon immediately went to talk about an interesting subject.

"Today we will get a new class teacher, he will replace Miss. Matsubaru." Hanon said, thrilled to have a new class teacher, which will hopefully be Taro.

"So I've heard." Rina said. Lucia now remembered the topic that was the talk of the class.

"Oh, that's right. But does anyone know who will it be?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Im not really sure, but I was praying hard last night and lit some love candles for a class teacher to be Taro. It would be great to see him every day." Hanon said, having that awkward, but determined look on her face, praying with all her might that it will be no one but Taro. She even had illusion of blue fire surrounding her from the sheer magnitude of her wish.

"Uhm, is she alright?" Rina asked, a little worried by her zeal.

"So that's why she was locked in her room. And here I thought she was doing something important." Lucia said a bit nervously from seeing Hanon in her current, zealous state.

* * *

A few minutes later, a school bell rang and the three mermaids attended the class, along with Goku after an abundant snack. Hanon was still praying with all her strength that Taro comes through that door. Goku looked at her blankly in confusion, wandering why she is praying so much, though Lucia and Rina share his sentiment.

"She is still thinking about it." Rina said bluntly.

"Yeah, its kinda creepy." Lucia said, using her handkerchief in nervous fashion. Then, against all odds, Taro actually entered the classroom with news that would most certainly satisfy Hanon.

"Good morning!" The entire classroom greeted.

"Good morning everyone. Since Miss. Matsubaru is in the hospital due to her pregnancy, from this day forward I will be your class teacher. I am Taro Mitsuki and I am glad that I will be your class teacher." Taro smiled. These news made Hanon extremely thrilled.

"YES! My prayers have been answered and my wish has come true!" Hanon said, having floating hearts and sparkling eyes in pure happiness.

"Ugh, never underestimate a woman's willpower." Rina said, facepalming herself as she couldn't believe that this moment actually happened. Even Lucia was totally surprised by the outcome of all her prayers.

"Wow, it actually worked, I don't believe it." She told to herself before she turned to Hanon. "Well done Hanon, I need to ask her how she does that." Lucia smiled.

"Mr. Mitsuki!" Hanon called out.

"What is it Hanon?" Taro asked.

"Well, if you would allow it, I would like to organize a welcoming party for you." Hanon said cheerfully, though these news surprised Taro a bit.

"A welcoming party? For me?" Taro said, taken aback slightly from Hanon's suggestion. Then ball filled with shiny party papers fell down and class table turned to other side to show a welcoming message for Taro. Though this was rather unexpected for him.

"Great, thank you Hanon." Taro said nervously, using his handkerchief in nervous fashion. Seeing all this sudden surprise from Hanon made Goku also scratch his chin in confusion. He couldn't understand at all why she was so determined to have Taro as a class teacher. That was the question that he will probably never get the answer.

* * *

The rest of the day went on without any troubles. After school, Goku returned to his usual training routine, turning it up a notch as he intended. With a welcoming party that is being organized tomorrow by Hanon, Goku used the opportunity to train hard for whole day and gorge on all the meal that will be prepared tomorrow when he arrives.

The night came by in a flash and everyone returned to their homes. As for the mermaid princesses in the Pearl Hotel, they were all having delicious dinner, along with Nicole, Hippo and Madame Taki.

"Well, all done." Hanon said, much to Lucia's surprise as she barely ate half the plate of food.

"What, already?" Lucia asked.

"You should avoid abundant meal, unless you want to inflate like a balloon." Lucia said.

"But you always eat two full plates, along with three slices of cake, which you always say there is a room for." Lucia said. Hanon admitted inwardly that is true, though she refused to say it out loud.

"What are you talking about? I'm always eating light." Hanon lied, though it was obvious to Lucia.

"Uhm, if that's what you call 'eating light', then you are really nuts." Lucia said bluntly. But if she were to compare Goku's eating habits with Hanon's, then Goku would definitely be on top.

"Watch your mouth!" Hanon exclaimed, offended by her blunt statement before she quickly calmed herself. "Tomorrow is Taro's welcoming party and I want to look as pretty as possible." Then she departed. "Now i'm going to put on some skin lotion and sleep early." She said.

Soon enough, she was in her bedroom, lining up her clothes and deciding what to wear for tomorrow.

"I don't know what to wear, but it has to be something provocative. You never know, maybe we will have some alone time." Hanon said, having vivid imagination about Taro complimenting her and about to kiss her. Hanon blushed before she quickly composed herself, carrying on with choosing a fitting clothes for tomorrow.

At the same time, Lucia was taking a bath in her own bathroom. She was pondering on Hanon's commitment towards tomorrow's party and actually considering taking measures of her own while spinning a bubble pot.

"Gosh, seeing Hanon so determined for tomorrow makes me wanna dress up nicely too. Who knows, maybe Goku and I will finally have some alone time and it would be great opportunity to form a stronger bond." Lucia said, already having an imagination of her own.

" _Lucia, you look so beautiful and attractive." Goku said, leaning closer and about to touch Lucia's lips._

"On no Goku, you are embarrassing me!" Lucia said in girlish squeal, not realizing that she was spinning a bubble pot fast enough to make her bath tub overflow with bubbles.

* * *

While the two mermaids were preparing themselves for tomorrow and having blissful imaginations while doing it, far away from the Pearl Hotel, Taro Mitsuki was practicing his composition on his piano, all the while having memories of his trip to the Indian Ocean. It was the night that he will always remember, as it was the night that he first saw an orange silhouette of the person he fell in love with, an orange mermaid.

But, he also had an unpleasant flashback as he remembered her reaction when he told her he had to go. She looked at him departing, heartbroken, her eyes stained with tears. It was a memory that completely broke his concentration and will to continue as the pain was too great, slamming his hands on piano in frustration, trying to dampen the awful flashback in his mind.

"I never intended to inflict you any pain, my beautiful mermaid. But there was nothing I could do at that time." Taro said sadly, going to the balcony and pondering on the thought as he gazed at the moon in the sky.

"I wonder how you think of me now, you probably hate me for what I have done." Then he closed his eyes. "But the truth is that I still have feelings for you." He said. But then he heard a splash in the water. Upon observation, he could have sworn that he noticed the same orange silhouette appearing in the distance. It could be his imagination, but then he noticed the same orange person who looks like a mermaid departing towards the open sea.

"Wait, is that you?! Please, answer me!" Taro called out, but there was no answer. He desperately looked around, trying to find her, even considering to jump in the water in the act, but it was all in vain as she disappeared in the depths of the sea. But he did not give up, he still hoped that she will appear sooner or later.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Goku's house overlooking the city, Goku finally finished with his training and took a shower before he went to sleep. After washing away the pain and fatigue from his body, he took a towel to dry his hair. He exhaled deeply in relaxation.

"Phew, now that's much better, I feel as good as new." Goku said cheerfully. After he dried up, he put on clean orange pants and black undershirt and fell to deep slumber.

 _He was drifting peacefully in a realm of dreams, where he was gorging on mountain of food and flying across the valleys of Mount Paozu with bright sun illuminating everything it touches with its rays of light. But soon, darkness enveloped the lands around him, soon covering him as well, closing his eyes as he tried to fight off the invisible force stopping him._

T _hen he opened his eyes as he faced all four of the water demons again in some strange pink dome, with four sinister beings encircling around them. He was actually surprised to find his mermaid in royal garb behind him, completely forgetting that this was all a dream._

 _Unknown to Goku, this scene was replayed when he first entered Lucia's kingdom before he defeated the Dark Lovers and faced Gaito in battle._

 _Goku tried to evade the swirling vortex, but it quickly enveloped them both. Goku tried with all his might not to let go of the mermaid, but she was slowly slipping away from his grasp as the tornado's force grew in strength._

 _"Goku!" The mermaid shouted, pulled away by the tornado._

Goku looked away in shock before suddenly he shot open his eyes and panted slightly from the shock of the nightmare. Then he sighed slightly to relax himself.

" _It was just a bad dream."_ He thought, not understanding the dramatic change in his dreams. It was all majestic until that scene suddenly appeared before him. In that moment, he felt like he had been there before and fought those Dark Lovers. But he was just too tired to think of that any further as he conked right back to sleep like nothing had happened, snoring blissfully.

* * *

The next day, everyone gathered up in a large wooden house in the forest where Taro's piano play will be held. Also, a barbecue has been set as already a large amount of meat has been prepared.

Goku, along with Lucia, Hanon and Rina came together. He couldn't wait to feast on all the delicious meat that he can smell from the distance.

"Oh boy, something smells delicious, wow!" Goku said as he sniffed the sweet scent of roasted meat of several variations. Hanon merely narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"Goku, this is Taro's welcoming party, not yours." Hanon frowned. Lucia merely giggled by his childish reaction. There was nothing she could say about his enormous appetite, because she already got used to it. She knew there will be a lot of food for everyone, so she wasn't worried.

"By the way, how will Mr. Mistuki play his piano all the way here?" Rina asked. Hanon smiled, glad that she asked that question.

"Don't worry, we rented a big wooden house with piano. It's right over there." She pointed at the house not far from the four.

"Wow, you really thought of everything, didn't you?" Lucia asked, amazed by her initiative.

"Of course. Now let's eat before we enjoy in Taro's beautiful music." Hanon said as she made her way with Rina to the barbecue, leaving Lucia alone with Goku.

"She doesn't have to tell me twice!" Goku said to Lucia cheerfully with toothy grin. Lucia only shook her head silently in amusement. She thought about having another emotional moment with Goku, but with so much food around here, that's impossible, so the best solution for her was to feed that bottomless pit of his.

But suddenly, he looked to his right to find a purple-haired girl leaning against a tree with frowned expression, looking upwards before she turned her attention towards Goku. He could only look at her with innocent expression, wandering why she is looking at him like that.

Lucia came towards Goku and turned to the direction he was facing to find a familiar girl with purple hair.

" _Who is she? She does look familiar?"_ She thought before she recognized her. _"Now I remember, that was the girl that won in that mermaid competition."_

Though with every second Goku was looking at her, the jealousy within Lucia grew, slowly believing that Goku is attracted to that girl. She held onto Goku's hand.

"Goku, why don't we go and get something to eat?" Lucia smiled, trying to make some distance from the girl. Goku smiled brightly and turned towards Lucia.

"Sure." He nodded before they both departed. Then Goku returned his attention to the purple-haired girl who locked her full gaze on him. He raised his eyebrow in confusion at her stare, believing she wants something from him. Then she slowly turned away and went into the forest. Goku frowned slightly from that rather awkward moment. He didn't know why, but she seemed rather suspicious.

But that thought was swiftly removed from his mind as his full attention was now turned to the barbecue, but not before greeting everyone. Immediately upon noticing Goku, the rest of the students took a full plate of food before Goku gets the chance to devour everything he sees.

Hanon carried a plate of food filled to the brim to Taro, along with Lucia who carried the same amount to Goku. Taro had difficulty eating that much, but it was polar opposite for Goku as he chewed on the meat with great delight. Then he stopped as he noticed Lucia didn't get a bite at all.

"Why are you not eating? This tastes delicious." Goku asked with his mouth full.

"Nah, I carried all of this for you, Goku." Lucia smiled brightly. It was kinda cute for her to feed that goofball like he was a child, though she wasn't far from the truth. Then he swallowed the food before he talked.

"But, there is plenty of food around here, take a bite." Goku offered, though Lucia kindly declined.

"Thanks, but I'll eat later, so feast till your heart's content." Lucia smiled.

"Oh, ok." Goku said before he chomped on more food from the plate.

After bringing him five plates of food filled to the brim, Goku ate all of it in almost a record time, not catching his breath for a second as he ate without a care in the world. Lucia smiled as she watched him eat all the food she brought him, glad that she was the one doing it, though she did not forgot to leave some food for her and her friends, Hanon and Rina.

"Ahh, now that hit the spot." Goku said cheerfully, rubbing his stomach in delight and licking his mouth to savor the taste of meat that he ate.

Then he noticed that girl with purple hair again. She was staring at him with a frown, still not knowing what she wants from him. After a few moments, she again turned and went into the forest.

This time Goku was starting to grow a little suspicious of her. He sensed her power level, but to his surprise, her energy was not as dark as the one with water demons. Still, he decided to find out the truth of why she was so interested towards him, though he did not want to worry Lucia.

"I'm going to have a little walk, I'll be right back." Goku smiled before he left, though Lucia could see that he was going to chase after that girl that she saw as well. She looked at him sadly as he was slowly distancing from her, her jealousy growing rapidly before she decided to follow them. Noticing Lucia suddenly departing into the forest, Hanon and Rina also decided to follow her.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep beneath the ocean, the Dark Lovers yet again proved a failure to Gaito. These four nitwits were really testing his patience as his quest for dominance will not be delayed due to their incompetence. They tried to relax him in vain, with hope that they will gain his favor, but with every failed attempt of capturing the mermaid princesses, that chance grew more and more dim.

"Leave everything to me, master Gaito. I will capture the mermaids and bring them to you sooner or later." Maria declared, but that statement went over Gaito's head for a reason.

"Bah, all talk and no results!" He growled before he stood up and left to his quarters. "Enough with your blabbering and bring me the mermaid princesses!" He exclaimed in anger before he left, leaving the four water demons sulking again. They are really trying to capture the mermaids, but they proved to be a bigger nuisance with each passing day, especially when they have three mermaids to contend with at once. But as for Maria, she will not give up so easily as she immediately departed to the surface and come up with a plan to fulfill her mission.

Within Gaito's chambers, his anger was slowly rising because of their ineptitude to complete their only task.

"I'm surrounded by incompetent idiots and nitwits." Gaito grumbled, biting his fingernails in utter frustration. But then, an unknown person came to calm him down.

"You shouldn't be doing that, you will only ruin your pretty fingernails." An unknown woman said, resting her hand on Gaito's own. This woman was wearing a white dress and long white shroud covering her eyes and hair, only revealing her mouth and nose, along with two orange earrings.

"I understand your anger, but it's not your fault. These servants of yours are to be blamed for being incompetent to fulfill your orders." The woman comforted Gaito, but it only helped him relax slightly.

"But don't worry, I promise that very soon, someone worthy of you will rise." The woman said.

"I'm not so sure." Gaito said, being in doubt of that statement with each passing defeat.

"Oh he will, he will." The woman reassured, resting her head on his. This gesture made him relax his mind and rested his head as well on her shoulders, with woman's hand resting on his cheek.

* * *

Back on the surface, a girl with purple hair was going deeper into the forest until suddenly she dropped a pendant in the river. She picked it up, only for it to glow with purple rays of light.

Goku followed her slowly until he sensed a powerful force emanating near that unknown person.

" _What is that surge of energy? It's almost intense."_ He thought. He frowned as he knew that she may not be evil, but she definitely looks suspicious. No normal girl would emanate with so much power. But upon closer observation, strangely enough, the energy source was coming from that pendant. It had the shape of a winged seashell, like Lucia and her friends. The girl continued to walk, but Goku decided to catch up with her and have a little talk.

Meanwhile, Lucia, Hanon and Rina have been following Goku to see where he is going.

"Lucia, why are you following him?" Hanon asked curiously.

"He suddenly started to follow that girl with purple hair in the forest. I need to know why." She said, nervous a bit that they are not having secret affair by any chance.

"Maybe Goku fell in love with that girl and decided to kiss with her where no one could see them." Hanon teased, knowing Lucia's reaction in the matter.

"What?! No way, I refuse to accept that!" Lucia said with girlish scream filled with jealousy.

"Calm down Lucia, Hanon was just joking." Rina tried to calm her down, but she was already becoming paranoid of that possible scenario as she imagined them kissing on the lips.

"Goku!" Lucia ran in the forest to immediately confront them. Rina frowned at Hanon, elbowing her to calm her giggling.

"Hanon, you are so evil, why did you do that?" Rina scolded her. But Hanon was not fazed.

"Come on Rina, I know fully well that Goku is not a cheater, all he thinks about is training and food." Hanon smiled.

"Well, Lucia is not completely aware of that. Now let's go and stop her." Rina said before she went. Hanon immediately followed suit.

* * *

Back at the wooden house with the rest of the class, everyone looked around to find that one of their classmates are gone.

"Hey, do you know where Lucia is?" One girl asked.

"No idea." The other girl said before she turned to Kaito "Have you seen Lucia?" she asked.

"No, I haven't." Kaito shook his head.

"Strange, even Goku has gone missing." She said. The first girl merely rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Good riddance, that guy is not normal, he would eat this entire house along with all the meat around here." She said.

"Yes, but he is pretty dreamy, isn't he?" The other girl said, having imagination of kissing with Goku.

"Maybe, but remember that you would have to deal with that bottomless pit of his stomach every day." The first girl said, making them both laugh.

As for Kaito, he frowned as he grew slightly worried about Lucia. Soon after, he decided to search for her in the woods.

* * *

At the same time in the woods, Goku came close enough to the girl.

"Hey, lady! Who are you?" Goku asked. The girl looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"Me? What do you want from me?" She asked rudely. Goku frowned slightly, dropping his gentlemen side.

"I should ask you that. You were staring at me behind the tree as if you wanted something from me. So who are you?" Goku asked bluntly. The girl turned towards Goku with a frown.

"This is the first time I see you in my life, why would I need anything from you?" The girl frowned. Goku got closer to her.

"If so, then why were you hiding from me behind the tree?" Goku said rudely.

"Look, I don't know you, so leave me alone, alright?" She frowned at him. The two locked gaze at each other with frown. Goku tried to sense any sinister intent behind her gaze, but strangely enough, found nothing.

" _I don't sense an ounce of evil in her stare. If she is not here to fight me, then who is she?"_ He thought. Though their unpleasant conversation was interrupted by an ice blast that suddenly hit the tree.

"What?" Goku gritted his teeth as he was immediately on guard from an ambush. He guessed that it was this girl's doing, but judging by her unease at the situation, that idea was immediately erased. Unknown to the two at the moment, it was the ice blast of the Dark Lover Maria.

"I heard irritating sounds of the mermaid's pearl somewhere around here. A mermaid princess must be nearby, but where?" She said to herself. She then began to cast rapid ice blasts in the vicinity.

Goku picked the girl up and carried her in safe distance before the blasts hit them. Then he turned his head to the direction the blasts came, sensing a dark power level. He frowned as he immediately guessed who it was.

" _It's that Dark lover girl Maria. Great, now what she's up to? Better not wait to find out."_ Goku thought before he let go of the girl. "Listen, I need you to get out of here, it's too dangerous to be here." Goku urged. The girl merely looked at him in silence, slightly worried about him after he rescued her from the attack. But Goku was too focused on his opponent to notice.

"Go!" He said before he went to confront Maria. The girl reluctantly did as he asked and retreated into the forest.

"Come out, come out wherever you are! I'm waiting!" Maria said as she continued to fire her ice blasts. But soon after, Goku jumped high in the sky and landed behind Maria.

"Stop that right now!" Goku exclaimed. Maria immediately turned to find not mermaid princesses, but that meddling human instead.

Meanwhile, Lucia finally caught up with Goku, only to find him standing against Maria, one of the Dark Lovers. She was immediately hiding behind the bushes so she couldn't be seen. Hanon and Rina caught up soon after, but soon found Lucia hiding for some reason.

"Lucia, why are you hiding behind the bushes?" Rina asked. But Lucia silenced them both.

"Shh, come here." Lucia gestured them to crouch and hide as well, which they reluctantly agreed. But to their surprise, they found Maria facing Goku.

"Great, what is she doing here in the middle of the forest?" Hanon frowned.

"Probably looking for us, but it seems that Goku caught up with her." Rina said.

"Then it shouldn't be a problem for him if she is his only opponent. This will be interesting to watch." Hanon grinned. If he was able to defeat Gaito in battle, then Maria will be no threat in the slightest for Goku. As for Lucia, even though she agrees with Hanon that he will win, she was still worried for his wellbeing.

As for Goku, he realized that she will be his only adversary and he merely stood upright from his fighting position, knowing she won't be a threat if she fights him alone.

"What are you doing here? Causing trouble again?" Goku frowned.

"I am here on a mission, human." Maria growled before she grinned. "But now that you are here, you will make an excellent prize for my master." Maria said. But knowing of the outcome of this battle all too well, Goku decided to make a more diplomatic approach and return to Lucia and the others back at the barbecue.

"Look, I don't want to fight you, but I will if I have to, so I will give you one chance to leave." He frowned without any intent on insulting her. Then he turned around, but not before warning Maria.

"Go back wherever you came from and leave these people alone, otherwise you will have to face me." He frowned and started to walk away. Maria growled by his insolence, her anger started to boil as he was deliberately mocking her, having a tick mark on her head.

"Don't you dare turn you back on me!" Maria exclaimed before she fired her ice blasts at him.

Goku flipped backwards behind her, but she retaliated with ice spikes erupting from the ground, which Goku also dodged by flipping on his right side. Maria did not give up as she continued to fire her ice spikes at him to which he dodged effortlessly. The he caught one of the shards going right for his face, not even fazing, much to Maria's shock. Then he shattered it in his hand in brutal abandon, making Maria back up a bit from seeing him so serious.

Even the mermaids behind the bushes were surprised by his reaction, but they knew that Maria was done for this time. But fortunately for Goku, he was calm from the inside, but her futile efforts were rather annoying.

"You can't beat me with your usual fighting techniques. Now, give up." Goku frowned. Maria frowned, realizing he was right, but she had one more trick up her sleeve, making her grin.

"No, not yet. It's over when I say it's over." Maria said.

Then Maria started to conjure a large ice ball that floated slowly like a small blizzard and fired it at Goku. He grinned as he readied for the attack, clenching his fist, ready to shatter the ball in one strike.

"Haaaaa!" He shouted as he punched the ball, making it explode violently, slowly freezing everything in the vicinity. Maria grinned as her plan worked.

"What?" Goku was caught by surprise as his hand started to freeze, along with the entire body. But Maria watched in delight as she may have finally captured that human. At last, her opportunity to prove herself in front of her master is at hand.

The mermaids looked in surprise and shock as Goku was seemingly imprisoned now.

"Oh no, Goku." Lucia said. She was about to go and help him, but was stopped by Hanon and Rina.

"Wait Lucia, the fight is not over yet." Rina said.

"What do you mean, it's not over? Goku is in trouble, we have to help him." She said, desperate to save her loved one.

"Goku has been in worse situations then this, like when he fought Gaito. Let's wait a little longer and see what happens." Rina frowned, looking at Goku. She had witnessed his power firsthand when he fought the king of Panthalassa and she knew that Goku hasn't even begun to unleash his full power. Lucia looked worryingly at Hanon, who gave her a reassuring nod. Then she looked at Goku, holding onto her beating heart.

Maria stepped closer towards Goku. He couldn't even move a muscle, his entire body was frozen, except for his head. Maria grinned by her victory.

"What's wrong, human? Not winning as easily as you thought?" Maria taunted. Goku gritted his teeth as he tried to break free, but to no avail.

"I never said this would be easy." Goku growled.

"But you were thinking that it would be, weren't you? Well too bad, you are mine now." Maria said before she looked at him with killing intent. "You have caused us enough trouble, you miserable human scum! Always standing in our way and our master's glory. Well no more! You will now be nothing but small shards of ice for your interference, to be decorated in my master's throne room." She said before she extended her arms, her hands encircled with ice.

"Goodbye, Goku!" Maria said spitefully.

But Goku will not give up. He started to growl as he increased his power level, which he suppressed from the start. Then he started to slowly break free, the ice starting to crack from the magnitude of his strength. Maria looked at him in shock and couldn't believe what is happening.

"What?!" Maria exclaimed in shock.

Then Goku shouted as he shattered the ice around him, spreading his clenched fists high in the air. The ice shards flew in every direction, breaking on contact. Goku sighed slightly as he focused his attention back to Maria.

"Impossible. How did you manage to break free?" Maria said in shock, backing up a little. But Goku did not listen as he immediately disappeared and reappeared in front of Maria, sending a light jab on her stomach, but it was strong enough for her to almost lose her breath completely and kneel in pain. Goku stood upright again and merely frowned at her, ready for anything else she might throw at him.

Maria growled as she glared at him in defeat. She knew she stood no chance against him, in the end, retreating back to Gaito's castle. Or so it seemed.

From behind the bushes, Lucia, Hanon and Rina sighed slightly in relief.

"See?" Rina smiled. Hanon and Lucia smiled brightly at each other, happy that Goku won, though neither of them had even a slightest doubt in his abilities.

But unknown to the four of them, Kaito was also looking for Lucia and her two friends, worried that they might have lost themselves, especially Lucia.

"Where in the world have those three disappeared?" Kaito said, rubbing the back of his head as he jumped on the rock near the waterfall.

In the vicinity, defeated Maria appeared. She growled as she was once again easily beaten by that human, cursing herself for letting her guard down and succumbing to her fear. Then she looked at the orange-haired boy standing next to the waterfalls, glaring at him.

"I don't care if he is a human, I _will_ have my satisfaction." She said before she conjured her ice blasts at the waterfall, creating enormous ice balls that were falling above Kaito.

Goku suddenly sensed Maria's energy from behind him, immediately using his immense speed to reach the waterfalls. This sudden course of action made the mermaids immediately follow him, barely being able to tell the direction that he headed.

But before he could locate Maria, much to his shock, Kaito was in danger as the ice balls were falling on him.

"Kaito, look out!" Goku called out to him, but Kaito was paralyzed as he watched his impending doom approaching. But, to Goku's surprise, Kaito shouted as suddenly, a strange glowing symbol appeared on Kaito's forehead, radiating in massive dome of light that evaporated the ice balls and enveloping himself in bright burst of light. Goku shielded his eyes from intense rays. But as soon as the light died down, the symbol disappeared and Kaito fell down unconscious.

" _Whoah, what was that? Kaito's power level just skyrocketed."_ Goku thought. Then he rushed to Kaito's side to check on him. He was alright, but it seemed that sudden burst of energy drained almost all of his strength. He frowned as he looked at his forehead again.

" _Strange, that mark on his head disappeared. But for him to unleash such an enormous amount of energy at once, it's unheard of."_ He thought. _"Amazing, his power in that moment was greater than all four of the Dark Lovers combined. Who is he?"_

But before he could ponder on it any further, he inspected the area around him and couldn't find Maria at all. Her energy completely disappeared. She must have escaped again after she had seen him coming.

Then Kaito slowly started to wake up, opening his eyes to find Goku sitting next to him.

"Goku? There you are." Kaito said. Goku decided to play dumb and pretended that he saw nothing.

"Yup, what happened to you?" Goku said with innocent expression. Kaito slowly got up.

"No idea." Then he looked up. "For a second I thought I saw some ice balls falling down at me and everything was blurry." Kaito explained. Goku laughed childishly, even though he knew he was telling the truth.

"Don't be silly, Kaito, it's not like we are in snowy lands or something." Goku scratched his chin.

But then, Lucia, Hanon and Rina have caught up with them.

"Goku!" Lucia called out for him. Goku and Kaito stood up to greet them.

"There you are. Where were you three? Everyone was worried that you disappeared." Kaito frowned.

"Well, Goku wanted to bring us to this beautiful waterfall and that's why we left." Lucia said nervously, trying to conceal the part where they watched Goku's brief skirmish with Maria. Goku merely looked at her blankly before he just decided to play along, since he got a little hungry from that fight.

"Well, we should all go back and have a feast before Mr. Mitsuki starts playing his piano, what do you say?" Goku suggested.

"Okay." Kaito and the mermaids nodded before they departed back to the others.

Far above the group, Maria was standing, dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events.

"How is this possible? How did that human manage to unleash that intense ray of light?" Maria frowned. Then it hit her as she made a comparison between him and Gaito.

"Now that I think about it, it couldn't be a coincidence. His power and his facial features…" She said to herself as he looked nearly identical to Gaito. "There has to be something more than that, I'm sure of it."

* * *

With no time to waste, she departed back to Gaito's castle. Risking utter annihilation for yet another failure, Maria decided to take the risk and inform him of her discovery.

"Master Gaito, I humbly return from my mission." Maria kneeled.

"Well, did you bring my trophy to me? A mermaid princess?" Gaito asked. But seeing the expression on her face, he had doubts about her success, though he wanted to hear it from her.

"Im afraid that…" Maria stopped mid-sentence in embarrassment. Gaito immediately guessed her answer.

"So you have failed me yet again? In that case, I have no use of you. Begone!" Gaito frowned, not wanting to hear more excuses of her defeat. But Maria would not waste this opportunity.

"But please master, there is something else that you need to know." Maria urged. Gaito was slightly intrigued to hear her out, but only temporarily.

"And what might that be, Maria?" Gaito asked.

"I have discovered that there is a boy who possesses a truly great power within him. He can emanate a powerful surge of light." Maria said. Gaito raised his eyebrow on the topic.

"A boy?" Gaito said.

"Yes. And more importantly, he looked so much like you, my lord." Maria said. But after a few moments, Gaito knew fully well of whom she is talking about and decided to immediately break the subject.

"Enough, I will hear no more of it!" Gaito suddenly shouted, startling Maria. "I know of that already, so don't mention something like that ever again." He said.

"Forgive me, my lord." Maria apologized.

Gaito then stood up from his throne and departed to his private chambers. He sat on his sofa and pondered on her discovery. He couldn't believe that his nitwit servants would finally bump up on _him_.

But moments later, a shrouded woman appeared again next to him.

"What's wrong Gaito? You seem ill of a mood." The woman said.

"He has finally appeared. My other me, the light that was separated from me." Gaito frowned.

"I understand, but what could be done? There is no light without darkness, the shadows are stronger and greater in the presence of the light, you know that." Then the woman smiled. "But there is nothing to be worried about Gaito. It is still you, a special and unique Dark Lover desired by all." She reassured, but Gaito knew that the task would not be so easy. If he was to attain absolute power, he must fuse the darkness with the light, his power to fuse with his other self.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the wooden house in the forest, Taro was finally ready to begin.

"The composition that I will play today is in the memory of the mermaid that I met long time ago." Taro said. Then he started to play his notes. Hanon cupped her hands in amazement of listening to his beautiful music.

"My Taro, he is so talented." Hanon said. Lucia smiled and turned her attention towards Goku, who was snoring silently like a little baby. Lucia pouted as she elbowed him on his chest.

"Goku, we are here to listen to Taro's music, not to take a nap." Lucia frowned slightly. Goku rubbed his right eye from rude awakening.

"I'm sorry, but I'm always so sleepy whenever I'm full." Goku whined groggily.

"You are impossible." Lucia teased, making Goku scratch his chin nervously.

But while Taro was playing his composition, he had flashbacks of his moments with the beautiful mermaid from long ago. But he also remembered her sad and teary face, a dreadful moment that haunts him till this day.

" _Her sad look on her face will forever be carved in my memories."_ He thought sadly. _"But I did the only thing that I could have done at the time. If only I could see her again, but I doubt she will appear in front of me ever again."_ He thought.

Lucia and Rina were listening intently to Taro's music, Hanon more so, even to the point of shedding tears of joy, simply being touched to the soul by his amazing work.

But, while the others were listening to their teacher's piano notes, Goku looked towards Kaito and frowned slightly. He still couldn't forget about that sudden, massive burst of energy that he unleashed in that moment. At first he thought he was a goner, until he managed to save himself either by chance or pure luck. He knew that he had no control over his power, because he had never seen him using it before and it sapped all of his strength the first time he used it, making him fall unconscious. There was something else about Kaito and Goku knows it. He knew that he wasn't evil, judging by his energy signature, but there was something more to him then he thought.

But for now, only time will tell, though today, Goku got a whole different perspective on Kaito after his display of power and he can no longer consider him an ordinary person.


	11. Chapter 11

~Rematch~

Far away from South City, Goku was training on the beach, once again turning things up a notch or two. Since he used the last couple of days to spend time with Master Roshi and eat delicious food with Lucia and her friends, he decided to make up for the time he spent with his friends and amped up his training session a bit.

But today, Lucia also came to the beach to watch Goku train, this time with Hanon and Rina. She was amazed every time whenever Goku pulls a crazy stunt or an incredible technique she could only dream to perform.

"Wow, look at him. Goku is so cool!" Lucia exclaimed excitedly, cupping her hands while watching Goku dashing and performing combos with punches and kicks at fast speed, with even her strand of hair making a heart shape.

"Man Lucia, you really are amazed at everything, are you?" Rina said, rubbing the back of her head in slight mixture of annoyance and disbelief. She understood that Goku is without equal in martial arts, but there was really no need to make a fuss about even his slightest motion during training.

"Come on Rina, this is really awesome when you think about it." Hanon smiled, also watching Goku dashing forward and backward, like he was fighting an invisible enemy. To her, it's not every day to see someone train at this intensity and speed. Though with Goku and Lucia getting closer by the day, it will be an often occurrence for her and Rina, especially for Lucia.

Goku spinned backwards and stopped for a few moments. It was now time to also practice the potency of his energy attacks. Even though physical training and skill practice are just as important, he still needs to increase the efficiency of his energy control, especially his most used technique, the Kamehameha Wave. Even though he really wanted to test out how strong his energy blast had become over the course of his training, he didn't want to cause collateral damage in the vicinity, especially with Lucia, Hanon and Rina around. That's why he decided not to go full power for today or at least reduce the aftershock radius.

Then Goku cupped his hands in front of him. Then mermaids looked at him in slight confusion. Then moments later, they picked up on what he was planning to do, making all three of them grow uneasy.

"Umm, Rina? Is he going to…" Hanon stopped mid-sentence. She knew what Goku was doing, though she dared not say it.

"Yeah, he is using the Kamehameha Wave." Rina frowned, sweating nervously a bit. Lucia was also very concerned that Goku wouldn't carry away and destroy the entire area, though the mermaids don't know that this was Goku's usual training routine and no one will be harmed.

Meanwhile, not far from the beach, Maria was swimming to nowhere in particular. She just wanted to leave Gaito's castle for a while, so she could clear her mind of recent events.

" _Damn it. If I don't find a way to capture the mermaid princesses and more importantly, to defeat that human Goku, then I will definitely be banished at the bottom of the sea."_ Maria thought angrily. " _There has to be a way. If I could only catch them off guard or when they are most vulnerable, because clearly a direct approach is not working."_

At the same time, Goku is charging up his energy attack.

"Kaaaa… Meeee… Haaaa… Meeee…" Goku chanted the technique, placing his hands on his right side, slowly starting to glow with bluish-white rays of light.

"HAAAAAAAA!" Goku unleashed the blast in front of him. After some distance was made, he turned the wave to the right and pointed it directly at him. This made the mermaids gasp worryingly, especially Lucia.

"Goku!" Lucia exclaimed, completely surprised by the sudden motion and terribly frightened that he might actually be wounded.

"Is he crazy?!" Hanon exclaimed as well.

As for Goku, he merely extended his arms in front of him, ready to catch the energy blast. Soon enough, the Kamehameha Wave made contact, but it did not explode, instead it was slowly pushing Goku back. He gritted his teeth as he struggled to maintain control. He probably put more energy into the attack then he originally intended. But after a brief struggle, he pushed further until the blast exploded, sending strong waves in all direction and a small quake, with large smoke cloud covering Goku and his near surroundings afterwards.

At the same time, Maria stopped as soon as she felt a small quake trembling nearby.

" _What was that? It felt like it came from the shore."_ Maria thought, going to the surface to check it out. As soon as she emerged from the water, to her surprise, she found a large smoke covering the surroundings. But to her greater surprise, Goku emerged from the smoke, completely unscathed by the attack. She grinned at the sight before her.

" _It looks like the opportunity has presented itself. He seems to be completely off guard."_ She thought before she grinned further. _"Good, then that means he is wide open for my surprise attack."_

As for Goku, he was casually cleaning his clothes from the smoke, sighing slightly.

" _This won't cut it, I need to increase the intensity of my training if I am going to get stronger."_ He though as he looked at his clenched fist before he turned his attention to Lucia and her friends. Even though he was always glad that Lucia came to watch him train, he still needs to set some rules during his training while she is around, like not using his full power in his energy attacks. Lucia, Hanon and Rina sighed in relief when they saw him without a scratch. Goku merely gave them his signature toothy grin and his two-finger sign to ease their worries.

But, Maria used the opportunity to jump out of the water and use her full power to freeze him entirely.

"I have you NOW!" Maria exclaimed as she unleashed her freezing attack.

"Huh?!" Goku said in surprise. He only had a second to turn towards her, but immediately he was starting to completely freeze. But Maria did not stop there, as Goku was increasingly covered by more ice, until he was frozen in a large block of ice.

The mermaids gasped at the sight.

"What happened to Goku?!" Lucia exclaimed.

"It's her, the water demon." Rina said simply, already recognizing the ice power used against Goku. Hearing these news made Lucia frown, with three mermaids nodding simultaneously and immediately headed to confront their foe.

As for Maria, she gloated at the sight of her prize.

"Well, that was an easy catch, far easier than I expected." She smirked as she went closer behind Goku. "And now it's time to take you to my master."

"I wouldn't count on it if I were you." A voice said behind Maria. To her surprise, it was Lucia's voice and she did not look happy.

"Well well, I didn't expect to find mermaid princesses around. But all the better, since I will capture you as well." Maria smirked, but Lucia kept her angry frown.

"You will pay for hurting innocent people like him!" Lucia boldly declared before the three mermaids started singing.

"Live for you, Mermaid Voice!" The three mermaids said simultaneously.

"The stars are shining  
my hidden wishes  
The more of you are there,  
easier for them to hear of me"

While the mermaids were singing, Maria was petrified in place, but the ice encasing Goku was also starting to slowly melt.

"When the storm is brewing for hours  
When rain is not ceasing for many days  
Hold my hand and then a miracle will happen."

"Come and see what i am capable of  
Light and the darkness hide words with skill  
All the love im giving now to you  
Gives me the will to be ready for a new day."

"Loving power of the mermaids!" The three mermaids said simultaneously as they pointed at the water demon, signifying their finishing move.

"How about an encore?" The three mermaids said, gesturing to continue their singing. But once again, Maria didn't stand a chance against the trio as she immediately retreated.

The mermaids reverted from their Idol Forms and approached the still frozen Goku. The block of ice is now smaller then it was when Maria attacked, but it was still almost twice their size.

"So girls, how are we going to break him free? We can't leave him all frozen like that." Lucia asked worryingly.

"No idea, none of us are strong enough to break him out of there." Hanon said, rubbing her head in thought. "Rina, do you have any ideas?" She asked. But upon observation, Rina noticed something odd.

"Hmm, the ice was a lot bigger before we started singing. And after we were done, the ice melted a bit." Rina pointed out.

"Yes, it is strange." Lucia said before she smiled. "But if it means melting it all the way, then lets sing again." Lucia suggested, with Hanon and Rina nodding in agreement.

But before they could activate their pearls and assume their Idol Forms again, the ice suddenly began to crack. While the ice was breaking, the mermaids backed up a few steps, fearing that the ice might explode. Soon enough, in a mighty shout, Goku broke the ice around him, flying in all directions. The mermaids covered their faces from the flying ice shards. As soon as it stopped, they found Goku alive and well, though he was shaking uncontrollably from the cold.

"C-c-cold…Very cold!" Goku said, shivering from the surprise attack Maria inflicted. Goku thought he would be able to ignore the cold like the last time she attempted to freeze him, but this time Maria put more effort into her freezing technique and it really packed a cold.

The mermaids sweat-dropped at the sight, though they were immensely relieved that he was mostly alright. But soon they helped him get to his home so he could warm up and recuperate.

* * *

The next day, during the school break, the mermaids attended the classes without Goku, much to Lucia's disappointment.

"So, Goku did not come today after all." Lucia said, frowning sadly at his table.

"Well, after that furious surprise attack, it's a miracle that he merely caught a cold. Though it is strange that he managed to resist Maria's attack when she froze him in the forest, but not this time." Hanon said.

"That's because Goku was caught off guard and she put all of her effort that time." Rina said, folding her arms as she looked towards Hanon.

"But I'm still worried about him girls. Maybe I should check up on him after school and see if he is alright." Lucia said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Lucia?" Hanon asked with a sly grin.

"Huh? Why?" Lucia asked with an innocent expression.

"It will probably make things worse and raise his temperature." Hanon added in a suggestive way. Rina couldn't help but join in the teasing.

"Hmm, very likely." Rina said simply, nodding in agreement.

"Stop teasing me, you two! I can take care of him quite well, for your information!" She whined childishly, which made Hanon and Rina laugh on her account.

Soon after, Kaito entered the classroom, who was greeted by Daichi and Kengo with fist bumps.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kaito greeted them.

"Nothing much, bro, we were just talking about the grand surfing championship." Daichi said.

"Yeah, I'm so excited for it, I can't wait." Kaito said, all pumped up and eager to begin. The mermaids overheard their conversation, though they were not far from them.

"A grand surfing championship?" Lucia said.

"Yeah, from what I heard, it's a major event for all the skilled surfers." Rina said. Hearing this gave Hanon an idea.

"Yeah, too bad Goku won't be participating, since he has to stay in bed and recover." Hanon played dumb, turning her attention from the corner of her eye to see Lucia's reaction.

"Then I will set myself a goal to make him all better, so I can see him on that surfing board again." Lucia said with a determined look on her face. Even though she knew Goku excelled at fighting, he was also an amazing surfer, which was another thing she enjoyed watching. Even Hanon and Rina had to admit that Goku pulled out incredible stunts in the last contest and it won't be any different this time.

* * *

Sometime after school, the three mermaids went to Goku's house, standing not far from the entrance.

"Let's see, I brought some school notes and also bought some medicine, vitamins and sweets." Lucia said to herself, trying not to forget anything. "That should be enough."

"Wow, you really are determined to cure him, huh?" Hanon said. She was glad that she takes care of him, but she never though she was _that_ determined to the cause.

"Remember Lucia, he is sick, so don't jump on him or anything like that." Rina said bluntly, which made Lucia blush slightly.

"Rina, I would never do something like that!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Lucia, don't try to rile him up, that will just make the temperature worse." Hanon teased, soon after departing with Rina.

"Good luck." Rina winked, also departing home, leaving blushed Lucia behind.

"Just who do you think I am?!" Lucia exclaimed, baffled how they could even think of something like that. But soon enough she composed herself and went to the front door. She then rang on his doorbell. She waited for a few seconds, but there was no answer. She rang the doorbell again.

"Goku?" Lucia called out, but no answer. She even started to knock on the door. "Goku, are you home? It's me, Lucia." She said. Still no answer. She waited for a few minutes before she checked the window from the left side of the house.

"He is not at home, where could he be?" Lucia asked curiously, looking blankly at the living room. Then an idea popped in her head about his whereabouts.

"Don't tell me he went to train all sick like that?" Lucia said, sighing in slight worry as she went to the beach that Goku was usually training.

After several minutes, she guessed right as she found Goku throwing furious punches and kicks. She sighed deeply in disappointment, though it was out of concern for that goofball. She then went to meet with him.

"Goku!" Lucia called out for him.

"Oh hi Lucia, how are you?" Goku smiled, though sniffing a bit from the cold.

"Goku, you shouldn't be out of bed, you need to recover from the cold." Lucia said with a sad frown. Goku merely smiled brightly.

"There is no need to worry, a little bit of training and I'll be as good as… Achooo!" He sneezed loudly, sniffing slightly.

"See? You need to be in bed, otherwise your condition will only get worse." Lucia urged, but Goku did not listen.

"Nah, the only way to get better is to get out there and start… Achooo!" He sneezed again, sniffing. Lucia merely shook her head this time, pouting as she looked at him. Goku merely grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, I guess I could take a little break." He chuckled nervously. He just always drops his guard whether she was sad or angry and she doesn't look really happy when she is mad.

The two of them then returned to Goku's house. Soon enough, Goku unlocked the doors and went inside with Lucia, closing the door behind them.

"Goku, did you drink your medicine on time?" Lucia asked. Goku merely looked at her blankly.

"Medicine?" Goku asked.

"Yeah, like pills or syrups." Lucia said. Goku merely stick his tongue out in disgust.

"Ugh, I hate drinking that stuff, they always taste funny." Goku said simply. Lucia merely sighed slightly, not knowing what to do with this big oaf.

"Man, you are so irresponsible to yourself. Did you at least eat anything?" Lucia frowned sadly. Goku's stomach growled in response.

"Well, now that you mention it, I guess I got a little hungry." Goku laughed childishly, rubbing the back of his head. Lucia couldn't help but giggle cutely from his childish attitude.

"Great, is there anything you want to eat?" Lucia smiled brightly.

"I'm not really sure, but with your cooking, I bet anything will taste great." Goku gave her a compliment, though not entirely being aware of it. Lucia's heart skipped a beat from the compliment, which she took to heart, blushing slightly, smiling at nice words he said.

"Well, want me to make you some egg-fried chicken and plus other food you like?" Lucia smiled brightly.

"Yeah, I would love to!" Goku also gave a bright smile of his own, pumping his fists in front of him in excitement. But then Lucia had a brilliant idea as she raised her finger, winking at him with her right eye.

"But on one condition. After I make you all better, I want you to enter the surfing championship that will be held in three days." Lucia said. Though this time, Goku was not really happy by the suggestion.

"A surfing championship? But I have already done that, why do I have to go to a boring surfing contest?" Goku whined childishly, not really ecstatic to go. Lucia was rather surprised to hear that from him.

"Boring? But you had so much fun the last time." Lucia said, looking at him blankly.

"I did, but it quickly got boring and it's not as fun as riding the Flying Nimbus." Goku said.

"Well, if you won't go there, then I won't cook for you!" Lucia said, faking anger as she pouted and folded her arms, turning sideways. Goku's face went slightly blue at her statement. Her cooking was so great to him that it came to the point of being denied her dish is worse than being hit by a powerful energy blast.

"Alright alright, ill enter, no need for that." Goku waved his hands in front of him, snickering nervously. Lucia smiled cutely as she hit the spot. It was so adorable, yet so easy to blackmail him just by denying him her cooking, even though she would _love_ to cook for him anyway.

"Great, I'll go and look for the ingredients, while you go and take a shower." Lucia said as she skipped to the kitchen happily.

"Sure." Goku nodded before he went to the bathroom.

As soon as Lucia reached the kitchen, she opened the large fridge to find it almost completely empty. There were only two soda cans, one cabbage and two tomatoes.

"There is nothing here, it's empty. It's like he doesn't live here at all." Lucia frowned disappointingly. "Well, I guess I'll have to go and get some groceries." She said to herself before she closed the fridge. She soon went to the bathroom to tell Goku she was departing, slowly opening the door.

"Goku, I just came here to…" Lucia stopped mid-sentence as soon as she caught sight of Goku's naked, chiseled body. Her face turned redder than tomato at the sight, screaming girlishly as she immediately turned away, though she was fortunate enough not to see his crotch area, otherwise she would certainly faint.

"GOKU, WHY ARE YOU ALL NAKED?!" Lucia squealed, not daring to turn towards him.

Goku casually turned towards Lucia, as it was completely normal to be naked in front of someone.

"Oh, I was just about to enter the shower. Is there something you wanted?" Goku asked with innocent expression on his face, completely oblivious to her utter embarrassment. Lucia couldn't believe that he wasn't embarrassed at all by this awkward encounter. She understood that he was raised in the woods, but this is ridiculous.

"Umm, i just came to tell you that I'm going to buy some food." Lucia stammered, barely finding the strength to fight the intense blush and finish what she originally came to tell him.

Goku merely shrugged as he entered the shower.

"Oh ok, I guess I'll see ya later." Goku smiled before he turned on the water to fix the appropriate heat. Lucia immediately shut the door as her legs gave in, falling on the floor and leaning on the door, sighing deeply as she tried to compose herself.

" _My heart is pounding like crazy. Oh, how embarrassing."_ Lucia thought, burrowing her face on her hands in pure embarrassment. After several minutes of regaining composure, she departed back to the Pearl Hotel to get the groceries.

Goku was merely blissfully relaxing in the hot bath tub.

"Ahh, nothing better than a warm bath to relax sore muscles." He sighed in relaxation. Then he remembered something.

" _Oh, I should have told Lucia that I had the food reserves in the basement before she left."_ He thought before he merely shrugged moments later. _"Ah well."_ He then closed his eyes and relaxed. He had no idea of why she was so nervous about and why did she left in the hurry, but he thought it was probably that she got hungry too.

* * *

An hour later, she arrived in the hotel. Not wasting time, she went to the kitchen and picked up practically everything from the two fridges, making a large pile of food on the table. Hippo noticed this and intervened, but Lucia explained to him anyway about her intent to cook for Goku.

"Miss. Lucia, need I remind you that you are cooking only for Goku?!" Hippo said loudly.

"Yes, so?" Lucia asked casually.

"Are you trying to kill him or something?" Hippo raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"Don't worry, knowing Goku's appetite, this will be just enough." Lucia smiled casually, though Hippo sweat-dropped from her blunt answer.

"Well, in any case, Nicole will not be happy about the fact that you ransacked her kitchen." Hippo said.

"That's why I need you to cover me." Lucia said bluntly.

"What?! How can I cover this kind of mess?!" Hippo exclaimed. Lucia merely packed everything in six small white bags and one large pink bag on her back.

"Well, I'm off. See ya later." Lucia smiled as she went out, but was stopped by Hippo.

"Wait, Miss. Lucia!" Hippo exclaimed.

"What is it, Hippo? You are not coming along, if that's what you want." Lucia frowned.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't even dare. But there is something that Madame Taki wants to give you." Hippo said, pointing at the old fortuneteller.

"Here, I want you to take this." Taki said, gesturing a small green orb in her hand.

"What is it?" Lucia asked curiously.

"A crystal amulet. This trinket will be of great help to you if you are facing emotional turmoil." Madame Taki explained, knowing how she reacts whenever she is around Goku.

"Emotional turmoil?" Lucia repeated.

"That's right, if your heart is pounding like crazy or if you get too excited, just hold onto this amulet and you will be fine." Taki said. Lucia had that case alright, as she immediately remembered about that extremely awkward encounter in the bathroom with naked Goku. She blushed red at that memory, taking the amulet without a second thought.

"Thank you Madame Taki, I'll take it. See ya." Lucia smiled brightly before she departed.

"Bye Miss. Lucia" Hippo waved goodbye. Then he turned towards Taki. "So, do you think she will be alright?"

"Don't worry Hippo, that amulet will do the job as long as she uses it properly. Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Taki said simply before she departed to her quarters. Hippo had a slight doubt in her plan, though he decided to roll with it for the time being.

* * *

While Lucia was away, Goku was trying to meditate on the roof, though even a small breeze made him sneeze every time. He just couldn't fight it as hard as he tried. About 20 minutes later, he noticed Lucia coming, immediately going inside the house without her noticing.

" _I only hope Goku didn't go to train again. He is going to get a lot more then sneeze problem if he keeps up with his antics."_ Lucia thought worryingly, though after shower, he should be resting now.

Lucia noticed the open door, probably because he expected her to come back. She didn't complain as she placed the ingredients on the table. She put the food in the fridge while she took the necessary ingredients with her and immediately started preparing her meal for Goku.

"Hey, you came back." Goku suddenly appeared, smiling brightly.

"Of course silly, I told you I just went to get some food." Lucia also smiled.

"So, when will food be ready?" Goku asked gleefully, anxious to dig in as soon as possible.

"I just started cooking. With your appetite, everything will be ready in two hours." Lucia smiled. These news hit Goku in the head, as he pouted childishly with his hands down.

"Two hours? Ahh, but that's way too long, I'm starving." He whined childishly. Lucia merely giggled as she ignored his protest.

"Well, if you want my tasty dish, you will have to be patient." Lucia said as she was cooking a potato stew, along with some cabbage rolls. Goku merely shrugged as his mood jumped right up to his normal state.

"Okay, I guess I'll go and take a nap then." Goku smiled before he went to the couch and plopped right on it with his legs crossed and arms behind his head.

While Lucia was blissfully cooking one dish after another at her own pace, twenty minutes later, Goku was already snoring like a little baby. Lucia giggled cutely as she found him so adorable when he is asleep like that, without a care in the world.

" _Wow, look at us. It's like we are a married couple, it's amazing."_ Lucia thought, having stars in her eyes as she was already imagining feeding Goku with her soup.

" _Here you go, dear." Lucia said. Goku gladly ate a spoon of soup, smiling at her._

" _It tastes great, Lucia my dear." Goku said._

Though the longer she thought about it, the faster her heart was pounding and her face was redder by the second.

"Oh man, my heart is pounding like crazy. This might be a perfect occasion to try out Madame Taki's amulet." She said as she quickly took the green orb from her pocket. "I wonder how it works."

A few seconds later, the orb started to glow with blue color. Lucia could already feel her emotions stabilizing, returning to her normal state a few moments later.

"Ahh, now I feel much better." She sighed in relaxation. Soon, the glow fainted, having done its work and Lucia put it back in her pocket, returning to her blissful cooking.

An hour and a half later, all of her dishes were done and she set all the food on the table, ready for Goku's stomach.

"Well, it's all set, time to wake Goku up." Lucia smiled, going to the living room. The whole time, Goku was slightly sniffing from the cold, but with Lucia's assortment of soups and stews, that should fix it in no time.

"Goku, wake up, the food is ready." Lucia nudged him gently to wake him up. A few seconds later, he slowly opened his eyes, rubbing his right eye and cleaning the drool from his mouth.

"Was I asleep? Oh sorry, I guess I got a little bored." Goku smiled, rubbing his head before he yawned, stretching his arms wide. Lucia merely smiled gently, she was more than glad to cook for her love of her life, despite his dense nature.

"Well, the food is served." Lucia smiled cutely, gesturing at the large assortment of food piled up at the table. Goku immediately went to the dining room, already sniffing a delicious aroma from the food, which meant that it would be even more delicious to eat.

"Oh wow, it looks amazing!" Goku smiled brightly at the sight.

"Dig in. I made all this just for you." Lucia also smiled, sitting next to him and eating a plate of stew with him. While her table manners are in place, Goku's was way off. He gorged on everything he could reach out, without catching his breath even for a second. To Goku, Lucia's cooking skill was unequaled, everything tasted divine: The mesh potatoes, the peas, the cabbage rolls, along with meat, like egg-fried chicken, filled steak, skewers and everything else that was piled up on the table, though Lucia told Goku to eat soups and stews first, so he could feel better and for his cold to pass. Goku happily obliged, as long as he could eat the rest.

After ten minutes of pure delight, Goku finished his meal, rubbing his stomach after a good session of devouring his food.

"Now that hit the spot, everything was so great!" He said cheerfully before he turned to Lucia. "You really are an amazing cook Lucia." He smiled. Lucia blushed at a nice compliment, smiling gently.

"Well, are you feeling better?" She asked.

"Yeah, I feel great, thanks to your food." Goku smiled brightly. Lucia gave him a cute smile in turn.

"Good, then I guess you are all set for the surfing championship." She said. Goku's expression turned blank as he looked at her. She knew he would quickly forget about it and proceeded to remind him of that.

"Have you forgotten? You said you will go to this contest after I feed you." Lucia winked, which made Goku chuckle nervously.

"Yeah, I did, didn't i?" Goku gave her a toothy grin, rubbing the back of his head.

"Besides, there is plenty more of that to come if you win." Lucia smiled. Goku's ears twitched at those words, raising his spirits to yet again earn a delightful dish from Lucia.

"Alright, let's do it!" Goku pumped his fist in the air cheerfully. Lucia merely giggled cutely in response. She knew that it would be easy to persuade him to go just by offering him food, but this was too easy, much to her delight. Now she can see Goku stride the waves yet again, another thing she finds enjoyment the most, other than watching him train.

* * *

Two days later, Goku and the mermaids were slowly departing to the championship. During the two day period, Rina has won a prize for two on going on a vacation on a tropical island far away from South City, which conveniently was the exact same island where the competition will be organized. But the three mermaids had a conundrum in their hands. There were three of them and only two could go, but knowing Goku will be using Flying Nimbus and Lucia is eligible to use it due to her being pure of heart, she told that she will fly with Goku, so Hanon and Rina could use the tickets to go there themselves without leaving anyone behind. Even Hippo tagged along to keep an eye on them, easily passing as a plush toy in the airplane.

Meanwhile, Goku and Lucia have reached the island where the surfing contest will be held. Lucia was always excited every time she rides on the cloud with Goku, which made even Hanon and Rina slightly envious.

"Wow, the island looks so beautiful." Lucia smiled brightly.

"Yeah, that for sure." Goku agreed, looking left and right at the island below. Then Lucia turned her attention towards Goku.

"We should land at the airport, so we can wait for Hanon and Rina to come." Lucia smiled.

"Right." Goku nodded, immediately landing fast, which made Lucia scream happily, like she was on a roller coaster.

It took an hour or two for Hanon, Rina and Hippo to reach the island via airplane, but Goku and Lucia were patient as they waited for them, but not before exploring the town a bit, using every minute so she could spend some quality time with Goku. Soon enough, they met up with Hanon and Rina as they exited then airport.

"Man, what are the odds that our vacation will be in the exact same place where the surfing championship will be held?" Hanon smiled.

"I know, right? It's really amazing." Lucia also smiled. Rina on the other hand was not really thrilled, as she narrowed her eyes in disappointment, looking right.

"I had really hoped for a second prize, plasma TV with flat screen." Rina whined, making Hanon and Lucia laugh, which Goku also tagged along. Soon enough, four of them departed to a hotel resort included in their vacation repertoire, so they could rest for tomorrow.

* * *

At the same time, deep beneath the ocean in Gaito's domain, the Dark Lovers were trying to concoct a plan on how to finally succeed in their mission without botching it up at the last moment. Maria had no luck even with a surprise attack, so she too had a hard time coming up with an ideal plan.

As for Yuri, she was daydreaming about that beautiful moment she had in the two day span, looking lovingly at the scarf she held in her hand. During that period of time, something rather unexpected happened between the Dark Lover and the mermaid's protector, Hippo.

Yuri made an attempt to draw Gaito's attention by changing her appearance, but it only brought Gaito great annoyance as he threw her aside with invisible force, making her sad and going to the surface. She accidentally stepped on the glass, cutting her foot and for the first time, forming tears in her eyes out of denial, making her hide in a small hut and crying.

As for Hippo, it was revealed that he had the ability to switch between his penguin form and human form while on the surface, something that did not occur until that day. Nicole revealed that his penguin form was merely a temporary solution while he was residing in the Pearl Hotel, but staying so long in the surface world has rendered his transformation rather unstable. His human form was that of an adorable blonde boy whom Hanon fell in love at first glance, until he was revealed to be none other than Hippo, their guardian. But Hippo had immediately showed his resentment towards his human form, which is why he preferred to stay as a penguin. The mermaids decided to rectify his claim outside.

The mermaids brought him to Maki's restaurant to socialize, but he was very shy to even step out of the room due to his disgust at the human form he assumed at the time. But he got extremely popular with the girls as soon as he entered the restaurant, boosting his confidence immensely. Then a flock of girls started to grab him by his arms, pulling him closer to them, some of them even trying to kiss him on the lips. The mermaids at that point started to worry as this could escalate badly, trying to break them up from the boy. But Hippo had enough as he ran to hide in the hut where to his surprise, Yuri was there as well, still in her human form, though Hippo was unaware of who the girl actually was. When Hippo noticed the cut on her foot, he ripped the lower part of his shirt and used it to bandage her wound. Yuri blushed at the kind gesture, it was the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for her. She hugged him in response, with Hippo merely smiling, telling her to meet with him again at night time. For those two, it was a start of a beautiful romance between them, almost an unbreakable bond.

But, their relationship was short lived as Hippo discovered that the cute girl was actually Gaito's servant, while Yuri was shocked that Hippo was in league with the mermaid princesses. Still, Hippo refused to believe that she was evil, complementing her as cute and charming, which warmed her heart, despite the situation. But in a fit of anger, she attacked the mermaids as soon as they arrived with a lightning bolt, which Hippo got in a way, severely wounding him, which made her lose the will to fight in the process.

Yuri lost all hope as she inflicted an injury to the very first person she actually cared about with all her heart, believing that he now hates her and will never see her again. But to her joy and surprise, he actually came to her, giving her sandals he worked for in the restaurant in the first place. But, he also told her to put their romance to a halt for the time being, which Yuri reluctantly agreed. The departing was difficult for the young couple, but it was necessary, due to the current war between Gaito and the mermaid kingdoms. Lucia, Hanon and Rina wanted to support his relationship, but it was impossible because he fell in love with Gaito's Dark Lover Yuri. But until the day comes when peace would reign over, Yuri and Hippo can only pray for that day when they will reunite again.

But back in the present, with Yuri not tagging along in forming a plan with her comrades due to her daydreaming, Izure, Eril and Maria are brainstorming instead.

"Ugh, I never would have thought that the mermaid princesses would give us so much trouble." Izure said angrily.

"Not to mention that human Goku. Every time when victory is within our grasp, he always overpowers us. He is simply too strong to fight head on." Maria frowned. Izure did not take the news well, as she snapped immediately, having a tick mark on her head. Her pride is wounded more than her physical body and she has a hard time accepting defeat by a mere human.

"Well, you can stay here and hide, while I'm going to fight him over and over again or die trying!" Izure exclaimed. Maria merely hissed by her absurd statement.

"Don't be ridiculous, you know you don't stand a chance against that human alone and I doubt he will be merciful every time he fights us." Maria frowned. Izure reluctantly remained silent, painfully admitting that she had a point. "Besides, he seems to be in league with the mermaid princesses. Even if we manage to incapacitate him, they will always appear out of nowhere to beat us." She added.

It was at that point that Eril decided to step in.

"That's why we take care of them first, on our terms." Eril said in a confident tone. Izure and Maria looked at each other in confusion of her bold statement.

"What do you mean by that?" Izure asked, having calmed down a bit.

"Think about it, why do you think those ugly mermaid princesses beat us every time we fight them, especially Goku?" Eril asked. Maria and Izure remained silent, listening as to what she has to say.

"I'll tell you why." Eril said, assuming her menacing persona. "As you said, the mermaids have allied themselves with Goku. By the looks of it, they are clearly unstoppable when they fight as one." Eril said. It was a painful truth, but they accepted it nonetheless. Then Eril continued.

"But here is the plan. Goku is still a human, so he can't breathe underwater and that leaves only the mermaid princesses to fight." Eril said.

"Yes, you are right." Izure grinned.

"And when it comes to fighting them, their strength lies in numbers, but so is the case with us. If we combine out powers against them, then they don't stand a chance. And because we will fight underwater, that pesky human can't interfere." Eril said with a vicious grin on her face.

"I see. If we bait them far beneath the sea, then Goku can't possibly fight us without air and the mermaid princesses will be wide open for our attack." Maria summarized. Eril then switched back to her cheerful persona.

"That's right." Eril winked. "So, are we ready to set our plan in motion?" Eril asked. Maria and Izure nodded in agreement, readying themselves for a decisive battle.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the surface, Goku, Lucia, Hanon, Rina and Hippo have entered a hotel and went to get the keys to their room.

"Wow, look at all these girls in bikinis, now this is paradise." Hippo said cheerfully. Lucia and Hanon merely frowned at him, while Goku laughed light-heartedly. Hippo's words sounded really familiar to him alright.

"Hippo, it's not nice to comment other girls." Lucia frowned.

"I'll tell you to Yuri for that." Hanon joked, though it was covered by her fake serious face. Hippo panicked slightly by those words.

"No, I take it back, please tell me you wouldn't do that?!" Hippo said, sweating nervously. But Lucia and Hanon merely laughed at Hippo's expense, along with Goku, who was standing next to them.

"Well, look who it is." A voice suddenly said from Goku's left side. To his surprise, it was Kasuke Sakiya.

"Oh hi, you must be that surfer from the last championship, right?" Goku smiled. It took him a few moments to recognize him, but he remembered that he was one of the surfers who Maria attacked that day.

"Yeah, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Kasuke Sakiya, champion of the West City." Kasuke said, extending his hand to shake with Goku's.

"My name is Goku, nice to meet you." Goku smiled, shaking his hand with him.

"I see that you are determined to win this time as well." Kasuke said light-heartedly.

"Well, not really, I was pretty much talked into joining this contest." Goku chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of his head. Lucia pouted as she elbowed him on the shoulder, making him snicker childishly. Kasuke laughed slightly by his predicament.

"Yeah, I understand. Well, I'm going to change, so I can practice before the big event. See ya around." Kasuke said, waving goodbye to Goku.

"Bye Kasuke." Goku smiled, waving back.

"Man, West City. There are so many hot guys there to meet, I bet they look even better than on magazines." Hanon said, daydreaming about going to the city one day. "And not only that, but fabulous clothes and make up by the best model designers, oh my." She smiled brightly, having stars in her eyes. Lucia narrowed her eyes at her.

"Hanon, whenever you see some hot guy, you completely freak out. Besides, I thought you love Mr. Mitsuki." Lucia said. Hanon frowned at that statement.

"Of course I do, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't think of any other guy, right?" Hanon said. Rina merely face palmed from her statement, thinking she is a lost case when it comes to men, especially Taro. But Goku ignored their conversation as he had other ideas of going in the city.

"Hmm, speaking of which, I might go to check what Bulma is doing on the way home, she has been gone for a while." Goku said with a blank expression. Rina and Hanon were surprised to hear that, especially Hanon.

"Hold it, did you say Bulma?! As in Bulma Briefs?!" Hanon exclaimed, standing in front of Goku. But Goku merely sweat-dropped by that sudden change of behavior.

"Yeah, sure. Why you ask?" Goku asked casually with a blank expression. Hanon was shocked at the fact how he was acting so calm.

"Are you kidding?! She is not only the richest and most famous person in the world, but also stunningly beautiful. I bet a lot of guys are chasing her across the city." Hanon said excitedly. Little did Hanon know that the blue-haired woman that Lucia mentioned before at school was the same celebrity that she knows about all too well. Goku merely laughed childishly while rubbing his head.

"Yeah, I doubt that, since Bulma is now with Yamcha." Goku said.

"Yamcha? Who is he?" Hanon asked with a blank expression.

"Oh, he is a friend of mine who I met years ago. Since that day, Bulma and Yamcha have been together till this day." Goku smiled.

"Wow, I didn't know." Hanon said. Though during the whole conversation, Lucia was slightly jealous that Goku mentioned Bulma in the first place. But when he said that she had a boyfriend, she was immensely relieved and no longer has to worry that Goku likes Bulma.

* * *

During their continued conversation, Kaito arrived as well, going downstairs to do some practice on the beach, but was intercepted by Kasuke.

"Well, if it isn't the famous Kaito Domoto." Kasuke smiled. Kaito smiled back at seeing his friendly competitor from the last contest.

"Hi Kasuke, what's up?" Kaito said.

"Well, nothing much, but this time I'm determined to win, though with Goku around, that's going to be a tough challenge." Kasuke smiled. Kaito was surprised to hear that.

"What? Goku?" Kaito said.

"Yeah, so we better do our absolute best this time. Gotta go." Kasuke waved goodbye before he departed. Kaito was silently looking at Kasuke.

"What is this guy talking about? Surely I would have known if Goku was to compete." Kaito said to himself.

As he turned towards the lobby, to his great surprise, Goku _is_ here. And what is worse, Lucia arrived as well with her friends to cheer him on, all of them laughing while they talked to each other. Kaito's anger and rage was boiling up slowly from the inside, clenching his fist. Just what he needed, not only did Goku win the last championship easily, but he is going for the win again, with Lucia cheering him on once more. He said to himself every time to just forget about her, but jealousy within him was too strong to ignore and he could only suppress it whenever he was around her, especially when she was with Goku.

But since they will also reside in the same hotel, Kaito just decided to say hello before he went to practice. It was unavoidable anyway.

"Hey guys." Kaito waved at his school friends, smiling.

"Hey Kaito, how are you?" Goku smiled cheerfully.

"Great actually, I'm just about to go and practice before the big contest tomorrow. Are you ready?" Kaito frowned confidently.

"Yeah, it should be fun." Goku smiled, not noticing at all his secret resentment towards him, though mostly because of the fact that Goku is Lucia's chosen and not him.

"Well, I better go while the sun is still high. Take care." Kaito said.

"See ya." Goku smiled. Then he turned towards the mermaids. "Well, shall we get to the room then? I'm getting hungry." He said, rubbing his stomach. Lucia shook her head in amusement.

"Well, I guess we could go and grab a bite to eat." Lucia smiled.

"Alright!" Goku pumped his fists high, making Hanon and Lucia laugh as the three of them departed, with Hippo following suit. Rina also followed along, but was slightly suspicious of Kaito's rather unusual behavior. She sensed a tinge of hate in his voice for some reason. It could have been just her, but there has to be some reason behind that subtle hate for Goku that Kaito had for him for some inexplicable reason.

* * *

Soon after they accommodated themselves in their room, they went to eat. The mermaids and Hippo ordered a light meal, while Goku devoured one dish after another at record speed. Lucia, Hanon, Rina and Hippo, along with everyone else around them looked at him with shocked expressions, not even taking a single bite from their meal because of Goku, who was eating without a care in the world without even a second to catch his breath. After half an hour of eating session, Goku was finally done.

"Ah man, that was great, I'm full!" He said cheerfully, rubbing his stomach.

"He… he ate 86 full course meals in one sitting." Rina said in almost trembling and shocked voice. Hanon was even more shocked to hear that.

"Really? I stopped at 60." Hanon said, in similar state like Rina. Lucia merely laughed nervously while rubbing her cheek with handkerchief.

"Well, it's a relief that food was included in the hotel resort." Lucia said. It was an immense relief for even Hanon and Rina, for if food wasn't included, then they would have a hell of a bill to pay for Goku's insanely bottomless pit that is his stomach. They were still baffled at how he doesn't have any cramps at all, as he trains as soon as she finishes his meal.

After their rather awkward eating session, Goku and the mermaids have all went to do their daily activities. Goku didn't even bother to practice his surfing skills as he went for light training for the rest of the noon, like five thousand one-handed pushups or jogging around the island. Hanon was reading a magazine, Rina was napping most of the time, while Lucia went to watch Goku train from the balcony. Even though he should be surfing right now, he was throwing punches and kicks instead, though it meant that he was pretty confident in his skills. But Lucia believes that he will win with all her heart just like the last time.

Though for a second she noticed a purple dot in the distance that appeared to be watching Goku for some reason. Little did she know that it was a mermaid with purple hair, who kept a stern gaze on him before she submerged in the water. Lucia could have sworn that it was a mermaid, though she couldn't see clearly, due to the slight waves crashing onto the shore.

* * *

Several hours later in the afternoon, an announcement was made that really drew Hanon's attention.

" **Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present the piano concert of Taro Mitsuki that will be held in the open balcony in a few short minutes. Everyone is welcome.** " The announcer said.

"Oh wow, its Taro!" Hanon said, having hearts in her eyes. She immediately turned towards her friends. "Lucia, Rina, let's go!" She said as she hopped out of the bed and departed immediately. Lucia tagged along as well, since Goku finished with his training and went to meet up with them.

Down in the lobby, Lucia noticed a spiky hair peeking from behind a large bush. She immediately recognized it to be none other than Goku.

"What's wrong Lucia?" Hanon asked curiously.

"Nothing, I'm just going to talk with Goku for a minute. You guys go ahead." Lucia smiled.

"Okay." Hanon said simply. Then Lucia ran towards Goku, though he did not know as he faced the opposite direction. To Lucia's surprise, it was Kaito standing in front of Goku, talking with him. She hid behind the bushes, so she wouldn't be spotted.

"You know, I was thinking, how about we make this contest a lot more interesting?" Kaito smirked, having a brilliant idea that he thought about during his surfing session.

"What do you mean?" Goku looked at him with an innocent expression.

"Here is the deal: whoever of us wins at tomorrow's contest will get a victory kiss from Lucia." Kaito explained. Goku blushed slightly at that.

"What?! A victory kiss from Lucia?!" Goku exclaimed nervously, with a few sweat drops forming on his forehead.

"Shh, be quiet, you don't want her to hear us!" Kaito shushed him nervously. In all honestly, Lucia was completely surprised by the bet that Kaito of all people had made. She was angry at that moment, but she had to be patient and see if Goku will accept the bet or not.

"But we can't do that, she will be very mad!" Goku said nervously, fearing that such an act would only incur her wrath. For such a cute girl, she can be pretty scary when she is angry.

"Ah come on, it will be really exciting that way." Kaito grinned. Goku for one was feeling unpleasant that he is considering that bet behind Lucia's back.

"I don't know." Goku rubbed his head, reluctant to accept the bet as he looked down on the floor. Kissing Lucia felt nice, but it's simply wrong to bet on something that involves Lucia and she doesn't know about it.

"Come on Goku, surely you are not scared or anything." Kaito taunted him.

"No, I am not scared!" Goku whined childishly. That was Kaito's cue he was waiting for.

"Good, it's a deal then. See ya Goku." Kaito smirked, walking away without turning back, leaving shocked Goku behind.

"No wait, I didn't even…" Goku stopped mid-sentence before he groaned in defeat, because Kaito was walking quickly away from sight, so he wouldn't decline the bet by any chance. The opportunity was too good to pass it up.

"Ah man, what am I going to do? Lucia is not going to be happy." Goku frowned sadly, rubbing the back of his head nervously. Soon enough, he made his way to his apartment to take a nap and ponder on how he is going to explain the bet that Kaito forced on him.

For whole time, Lucia was angry that Kaito would just force such a thing in Goku's face without him even accepting it, though she was also immensely relieved that Goku did not actually accept that bet by himself. As much as she would _love_ to kiss Goku, something that she would gladly do any day, Goku was not the type to bet on her kiss, not by a longshot and that fact has been proven moments ago, something that she really appreciated. Soon enough, she went to meet up with Hanon and Rina at the restaurant balcony.

At the same time, the piano concert of Taro Mitsuki was only a few short minutes away.

"Man, I hope that the concert will begin soon, I just can't wait to see my dear Taro." Hanon said excitedly.

As for Rina, she noticed a very familiar person who was walking along the beach.

" _Wait, it's that girl again, the one who won at the contest on the beach and when she appeared in the forest during the barbecue. Hmm, I doubt it's a coincidence for her to appear here of all places."_ Rina thought. After that thought, she got up and followed her to investigate, surprising Hanon and Hippo by her sudden departure.

"Wait Rina, where are you going?" Hanon asked, but Rina ignored her question.

"Why did she get all upset like that?" Hippo asked her curiously.

"No idea." Hanon shrugged, believing that it was no big deal. Almost on cue, Taro showed up to commence his concert.

"Taro! Hi, I'm over here!" Hanon exclaimed, but it only annoyed Hippo.

"Hanon, this is not Teenage Idol concert, you know." Hippo frowned.

"Shut up." Hanon narrowed her eyes. Then Taro started to play his piano, a composition that he usually played in other concerts, besides the new ones he composed.

Far away from the hotel, the unknown mermaid had appeared on the surface, listening to the melodic tune that was radiating from Taro's composition. She listened to it intently for a while before she retreated into the sea. Rina followed her the whole time and she was shocked that the purple-haired girl was actually…

"She is a mermaid! Strange, I wonder if she is Noel." Rina said, hoping that her friend had escaped Gaito's grasp. But it seemed unlikely, as her hair color was far different from Noel's. This mermaid has purple hair, while Noel had dark blue hair.

* * *

Later at night, while Goku is blissfully gazing at the stars that light the night sky, he was pondering on what he is going to do for that bet that Kaito forced on him. He didn't want to accept such a thing in the first place. Even though the last kiss with Lucia felt amazing, albeit not being directly responsible due to the deceased couple residing in their bodies at the time, it was still wrong to bet on Lucia's kiss behind her back. He really doesn't know what to do now, will she either consider that bet a compliment or will it make her angry. He really hopes it won't be the latter, because she can be scary when she is upset, even though that's a rare case.

At the same time in the hotel, Lucia, Hanon and Rina were all in their room. Rina was silently looking through the glass window, while Lucia and Hanon talked with one another about the bet that Kaito made with Goku.

"I don't believe that Kaito, how dare he make a bet about my kiss behind my back?" Lucia frowned, sipping a glass of juice from the table.

"Yeah, that is very immature from his side, I never would have expected such a thing from him." Hanon said, also sipping a drink of her own. "A girl doesn't know if she should take that as a compliment or an insult."

"I don't care, Kaito forced Goku into that bet, its simply wrong Hanon." Lucia said angrily.

"Come on Lucia, you wished for some excuse so Goku would kiss you. You know how dense he can be and this is a perfect opportunity." Hanon teased. Lucia blushed a bit at that remark. In a way, Hanon was right, she did wished for Goku to kiss her by himself at least once, but due to his innocent and naïve nature, that seemed rather impossible, unless someone talked him into that.

"But then again, what will you do if Kaito wins by any chance? Then you will be in a lot of trouble with Goku." Hanon said with blank expression.

"Goku will win, I know he will, I believe in him." Lucia said with a determined look, while sipping again her drink. Hanon merely smiled and nodded in agreement. She admired Lucia's dedication and faith towards Goku, even for smallest of things like this she always cheers him on with everything she's got. She hopes that someday Taro will do something similar to that for her.

Suddenly, Hippo popped out of the bedroom in a hurry.

"Girls, girls! Look, a pearl radar is picking up a signal!" Hippo exclaimed, showing the reading of a pearl in the vicinity to the two mermaids.

"Wait, if your radar is accurate, does that mean that there is a fourth mermaid princess nearby?" Lucia said. This mention of another mermaid princess surprised Hanon and especially Rina.

"Really?" Hanon asked.

" _A fourth mermaid princess? Could it be Noel? I pray that it is so."_ Rina thought, hoping against hope that Noel escaped Gaito's prison and searched for her and her friends for help. But it was too late in the night and who knows what dangers lurk in the shadow of the night, so Rina decided to look for her as soon as the sun shines the sky.

But little did Goku and the mermaids knew that the radar reading came from the same purple mermaid that occurred somewhat frequently on their visit to the island. The purple mermaid gazed sternly at Goku, who was still lying on the boulder, looking at the stars in the sky with that typical smile on his face. As she continued to look at him, the mermaid fondly remembered that moment that Goku saved her from Maria's surprise attack, standing confidently without fear against the same enemy she and the other mermaids fought for long time. But she did not change her expression as she merely suppressed that memory and submerged in the water with a splash, drawing Goku's attention.

"Huh?" Goku turned towards the direction of the splashing sound with an innocent expression on his face, but saw nothing. He looked around for a few moments until he merely shrugged and returned to his blissful gazing at the stars, believing that it was just a fish or something. After a while, Goku soon returned to the hotel for a good sleep before the contest tomorrow.

As he slowly opened the doors, he found the room pretty dark when he entered. Hanon and Rina have already gone to sleep on king sized bed, while Lucia waited for Goku to come, worried that something bad didn't happen to him, but slumber slowly started to overtake her as she fell asleep on the table in sitting position. Goku wondered why she would sleep on the table when she should sleep in bed, rubbing his head in confusion, but he merely shrugged as he gently picked her up bridal style, leaning her head on his chest.

He smiled as he looked at her sleeping face. She looked really cute even when she is sleeping, especially when she has that cute, gentle smile on her face. Slow and steady he took Lucia to the right side of the bed, gently placing her on her back and leaning her head on her pillow, then covering her to the neck with blanket. He stood upright and looked at her for a few moments, smiling before he went to the living room to sleep on the extended couch, since there is only one large bed in bedroom and the three of them already occupy it.

"Goku." Lucia suddenly said in a low and slumbering voice, making him turn his head to her in surprise. She actually called his name while she is asleep, even smiling at the very mention of that name. Was she dreaming about him? He didn't know why, but that tiny gesture warmed his heart greatly, smiling gently as he looked at her.

"Sleep well, Lucia." Goku said silently before he went to sleep as well, slowly closing the doors and going to sleep on the couch, steadily drifting into a deep slumber. All this time of knowing Lucia has made a tremendous difference in his emotions. No other girl as ever affected him so much in his entire life, not even Bulma, despite her positive and negative sides and she was the very first girl that he ever met. But it seemed that even with simplest of things, Lucia always brings joy to the young warrior's heart whenever he hangs around with her, emotions that seem to get stronger with each passing day, albeit very slowly, but surely. But Goku is yet to experience the unexplainable change that is slowly overtaking him with each day.

* * *

The next day, while Goku, Lucia and Hanon went to the surfing contest, Rina went ahead alone, standing near the cliff overlooking the sea. Ever since last night, she had high hope that Noel escaped and she will not botch it up this time. She even had that terrible memory of that day that Noel was captured by Gaito's servant Yuri, with him merely grinning at the prize he acquired. She immediately jumped in the water to search for her alone, despite the imminent threat of the Dark Lovers that was sure to follow. She had to find Noel, no matter the risk.

" _Come on Noel, where are you?"_ Rina thought, desperately looking for her closest ally, but during her search, a yellow fish' eyes glowed red at close proximity to Rina. The fish was one of Eril's spies who scatter around the sea to search for her target, who is currently Rina.

At the same time, Goku, Lucia and Hanon have arrived at the contest. Goku was wearing the surfing suit he wore the last time he competed, so if he was to earn that lunch from Lucia, he will have to do the best he can, to the point that he completely forgot about that bet from Kaito.

"Wow, look at all these people." Hanon said, amazed at the number of people that came to watch the competition.

"Yeah, this should be an interesting contest after all." Goku smiled widely, but Lucia knew better as she narrowed her eyes slightly.

"The only interesting thing about this is stuffing your face if you win." Lucia said, making Goku laugh slightly.

"Yeah, probably." Goku smiled before he looked at her blankly. "By the way, where is your food basket? I thought you would have already finished cooking the meal." He asked. But Lucia merely smiled at him.

"Don't worry, I didn't bring the ingredients along, but I will cook for you when we get home." Lucia said.

"Oh, okay." Goku smiled before he noticed Daichi and Kengo standing not far from them, also eager to participate.

"Great, they came too." He said cheerfully before he turned towards Lucia. "I'm gonna go and say hi to them, see ya later." He smiled. Then he went to greet his two friends from school, leaving Lucia and Hanon alone, along with Hippo. The two mermaids were baffled that he completely forgot about that bet that Kaito made with him.

"Wow Lucia, he didn't even bother to remind you of that victory kiss if he wins." Hanon said, looking at Goku who is casually talking with Daichi and Kengo.

"Yeah, he forgot, didn't he?" Lucia said, frowning sadly while looking at the sand. Hanon raised her eyebrow in interest by her change of mood.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me that you are agreeable about their bet after all." Hanon teased, narrowing her eyes slyly, making Lucia blush slightly.

"No, I am not Hanon!" Lucia exclaimed nervously. Hanon merely smiled.

"Admit it, you just wish for Goku to win, just so you could kiss him in the end." Hanon teased further, pointing her finger at her friend. But Lucia blushed even further, tapping her index fingers. Lucia's silence only made Hanon laugh, confirming that she actually wanted to kiss Goku if he wins. Lucia had to admit, even though she was against that bet, deep down, kissing Goku again was a great idea, though she was too shy to be so direct.

"I am more concerned about Rina, where could she be?" Hippo asked. Lucia composed herself as soon as Hippo mentioned Rina, looking at him blankly.

"No idea, she left the note that she is out for a walk, but she didn't come back yet." Lucia said.

"Yeah, I wonder what's taking her so long." Hanon said, also curious as to where could Rina be at the moment.

* * *

At the same time, the yellow fish that spied on Rina has arrived to his master, who is patiently waiting, along with her comrades for the perfect opportunity to strike. The fish reported her finds to Eril.

"So, did he find the mermaid princess?" Izure asked impatiently. Eril smiled brightly from hearing his report.

"Great news everyone, it seems that he spotted a green mermaid princess." Eril said cheerfully.

"Good, then that means that the other two mermaids are not too far." Maria said.

"Exactly. Now let's do it right this time for our master." Eril said, with the other three water demons nodding in agreement. With no time to waste, they departed to confront Rina and exact hot vengeance.

* * *

After half an hour of preparations, the championship has finally commenced. The participants have all gathered near the water, so they could show what they got. This time, Goku tried to sense any sinister energy near the water, wanting to know if there will be any ambush from the Dark Lovers like the last time, but fortunately, he sensed nothing, at least for now.

" **Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the grand surfing championship! Today, surfers from across the world have gathered to this one spot to determine who will be number one under the sun. Fifty surfers in total have gathered to this spectacular event to test their skills against the overwhelming waves of the sea!"** The announcer said.

"Wow, fifty surfers in total?" Lucia said in amazement.

"It will take a while before Goku steps in." Hanon said, not really thrilled to wait that long. As for Goku, the announcer's declaration of this contest reminds him of the announcer of the World Martial Arts Tournament in a way. He almost felt like he is going to fight someone, except his opponent are the waves instead.

" **And not only will the victor carry a trophy back home, but he will also receive 500,000 zeni to spend them as he pleases! But, the participants who win a second place or third place will receive 300,000 zeni and 150, 000 zeni respectively! And now, without further ado, let the championship BEGIN!"** The announcer said. The crowd cheered excitedly, waiting for the surfers to show what they got.

"Well guys, let's not hold anything back and go for the win." Daichi said to his friends, Goku, Kaito and Kengo.

"Right!" Goku, Kaito and Kengo said simultaneously.

The motives for each surfer differ for each one. While Daichi and Kengo are merely here to have fun, Goku will now go for the win not only to get the prize money so he could buy a whole lot of food, but also win that delicious meal that Lucia will make for him when they get back home. Although he wished he was training and honing his fighting skills even further, he couldn't let Lucia down, because it seemed that she really enjoys watching him surfing and he will not let her down.

As for Kaito, the only motive that drives him is the bet that he made with Goku. If he wins, then he will receive that victory kiss from Lucia. Although his strategy for Lucia was a little childish to say the least, he grew desperate at that moment, which was extremely unusual for a prideful person he was. But it seemed that his feelings for Lucia have only strengthened the more he tried to bury that emotion he felt towards her and his jealousy for Goku is not helping things either, despite the fact that Goku is a really nice person and a great friend.

As the contest progressed, each surfer demonstrated their skills on the waves. Though some of them lost balance and fell in the water, several contestants performed well, which gave Goku and the company a run for their money. It's not really something that Goku can't handle, but he wouldn't mind having some fun by doing crazy stunts again.

After thirty contestants finished with their performance, including Daichi and Kengo, it was now time for Kasuke Sakiya to show off his skills.

" **And the next contestant is the champion of West City, Kasuke Sakiya! Look at him striding those waves like a professional, unbelievable! An Incredible performance!"** The Announcer said as Sakiya performed stunning moves on the waves. Though it was no big surprise, as this time Maria is not here to sabotage the whole event beneath the sea. After several minutes, Sakiya was done.

" **And now the next contestant to stride the waves will be a surfer of South City, Kaito Domoto!"** The announcer said.

"Good luck Kaito, do your best!" Goku said cheerfully, waving towards his friend. Kaito turned towards him and gave him thumbs up before he went. Time after time, Kaito just couldn't really hate Goku for his cheerful character, but now that everything is said and done, there is no turning back. Albeit a little selfish, his aim at the moment is to win and get that kiss from Lucia.

" **Domoto is on the move as he skillfully masters every approaching wave, his performance is incredible, on par with Sakiya's demonstration of skill after his thrilling stunt!"** An announcer said.

"Amazing, he has improved a lot, I can tell he won't make it easy on me." Goku smiled. Now he found this contest a little challenging, as he has to perform perfectly if he is to win Lucia's meal. After several minutes, Kaito was also done.

" **And now the winner of the last championship and second time to participate in this grand event, Son Goku! His performance has to be flawless if he is to outmatch the surfers before him!"** An announcer said.

"Well, it looks like it's finally Goku's turn." Hanon said, looking at him blankly. Lucia decided to give him an extra morale boost by cheering for him.

"Goku, do your best, I know you can win!" Lucia cheered him. Goku turned towards Lucia and waved at her happily, laughing childishly before he went.

" **And Goku has commenced with his demonstration!"** The announcer said. Goku was thinking on what special move he should do as he turned his surfing board left and right. Soon enough, Goku turned right before he turned sharp left towards the wave, where he jumped up with the board at fast speed, where he flew up a good few meters.

" **Wow, look at that incredible move, what could he be possibly be intending to do?!"** An announcer said. Goku merely laughed childishly as he started to spin in circle fast upside down. Soon enough, he turned upright and surfed in opposite direction.

" **Wow, incredible, did you see what he did?! An amazing performance from Son Goku!"** An announcer said before Goku turned around and spinned once forward before landing on his arms, grabbing onto board and keeping his balance. Surfing is not as fun as riding the Flying Nimbus, which is much faster and it can fly, but this is still fun nonetheless.

After Goku finished with his performance, he went to meet up with Lucia and Hanon, giving them his toothy grin and signature two finger sign.

"Wow, Goku that was absolutely amazing!" Lucia ran towards him, hugging him tightly and laughing cheerfully, making Goku blush in response. But Lucia was so caught in the moment that she did not realize what she just did as she blushed immensely. They both looked at each other with innocent expressions, their lips almost touching each other. Then Lucia backed away slightly, making Goku chuckle nervously while scratching his chin and Lucia merely looking down in embarrassment, though not without smiling gently. Hanon could only giggle from that rather cute moment between the two, too bad Lucia did not go all the way and kiss him, that would be a victory kiss in advance.

After the rest of the contestants have completed their show of skill, it was now finally time to determine the victor.

" **Today was truly a spectacle, every contestant has performed amazingly well, but there can be only one winner of this championship. There are no exceptions to their extraordinary skills, but by the decision of the judges, three contestants have been chosen and one winner. The winner of today's championship is…"**

Everyone waited anxiously for answer: Goku, Kaito, Daichi, Kengo, Sakiya and every other contestant, along with the crowd who cheered them on. After a few seconds of silence, the announcer finally spoke.

"… **Son Goku!"** He spoke. The crowd cheered him on, especially Lucia and Hanon, who were holding their hands in immense joy.

"He won, he won, he won!" Lucia and Hanon said at the same time repeatedly, happy that Goku won.

" **And the second place belongs to Kaito Domoto, followed by Kasuke Sakiya, who won the third place! Thank you all for participating and until next time!"** The announcer bid his farewells.

* * *

During the contest, the Dark Lovers relentlessly hunted Rina in their attempt to capture her. She managed to elude them time after time, but they finally caught up with her, encircling around her with no way of escape.

"Hello there. It's kinda dangerous to swim alone without your friends, don't you think?" Maria grinned.

"So, you have finally developed a brain to work together, huh?" Rina said in defying tone. Eril turned to her menacing persona in response.

"Be quiet!" Eril exclaimed, firing dark blasts at her, which Rina managed to dodge. She barely managed to also dodge Maria's ice shards, but she received a few cuts in her arms. Izure followed suit as she unleashed her water dragons at her, with Rina barely dodging, followed by Yuri's attack, which exploded behind her back, yelling in pain.

At the same time, during Rina's fight with the Dark Lovers, Lucia and Hanon were not aware of her battle as they were focused on Goku's victory more than anything else.

"Well done Lucia. Now you and Goku can kiss, isn't that great?" Hanon winked, with Lucia blushing in turn. Lucia had completely forgotten about that bet, but she was prepared for that imminent kiss nonetheless. Besides, she couldn't wish to kiss with anyone else but with Goku.

But unexpectedly, their necklaces started to glow with their respective colors, signaling that their friend was in trouble.

"What is this? It looks like Rina is in danger." Hanon said as she looked at her necklace.

"Then we have no time to waste, let's go." Lucia said, immediately focused on saving Rina from whatever danger she found herself in. Hanon nodded as she followed suit.

Kaito was yet again disappointed that he didn't won the first place, because Goku pretty much dominated when he was striding the waves, but it was not the contest that made him salty, because even the second place was also great, considering the prize money. The reason why he was disappointed is that he lost his chance to get closer with Lucia and win that victory kiss, but then again, he is no sore loser and he went to congratulate Goku on his victory.

"Congratulations man, that was truly amazing, well done." Kaito smiled, extending his hand to shake with Goku's.

"Thanks Kaito, you also performed incredibly, I see that you have improved a lot since the last contest." Goku smiled, shaking his hand with him.

"Well, I guess Lucia's victory kiss is yours." Kaito smiled. Goku merely winced, his face filled with shock.

"What?! I completely forgot about that!" Goku exclaimed nervously. Kaito merely sweat-dropped from his sudden reaction, but he was mostly shocked that he forgot about their bet.

"You can't be serious?" Kaito asked, raising his eyebrow in confusion, baffled that he forgot about such a thing at all.

"No, I'm serious, i…" He stopped mid-sentence as soon as he turned around towards Lucia, but to his surprise, she wasn't there. She just vanished, along with Hanon and Hippo.

" _That's strange, where did she disappear to?"_ Goku thought curiously. Little did he know that the two mermaids left to help Rina as soon as their pearls glowed in warning.

* * *

At the same time, Rina was breathing hard as she struggled to endure their painful attacks, but she was quickly losing strength, knowing fully well that she is no match against all four of them alone. She got several cuts and bruises on her entire body, with blood dripping from some of the cuts, but she was mostly alright.

"What's wrong, is that the best you can do?" Rina growled, glaring daggers at her enemies.

"Oh please, the only reason why we didn't imprison you by now is because we wait for your friends to show up, all alone you are worthless to us." Eril taunted.

"That's right, why take only you with us when we can capture three mermaid princesses?" Maria grinned.

" _So that was their plan, they are now using me as a bait for Lucia and Hanon. I gotta get out of here and warn them quickly."_ Rina thought grimly. But then…

"Rina!" two familiar voices exclaimed. Rina turned to find her friends coming to the rescue.

"Lucia, Hanon!" Rina exclaimed. Lucia and Hanon gasped at the state she was in.

"Oh no, you are hurt." Lucia frowned sadly as she looked at wounded Rina.

"Are you alright?" Hanon said, extremely worried about Rina, just as much as Lucia.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Rina said, wincing in pain, but was still ready to fight.

"Excellent, all of you are here. Now be ready to be finally beaten." Izure frowned. But Lucia and Hanon were now furious that they hurt their best friend.

"How dare you hurt her?!" Hanon exclaimed angrily.

"All four of you are going to pay for this!" Lucia said furiously, ready to exact an excruciating pain to the Dark Lovers for what they did. The three mermaids then activated their pearls.

"Voice of the Pink Pearl!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Voice of the Blue Pearl!" Hanon exclaimed.

"Voice of the Green Pearl!" Rina exclaimed.

The three mermaids assumed their Idol Forms and immediately went for their singing.

"Live for you, mermaid voice!" The three mermaids said in unison. This time however, the Dark Lovers were prepared.

"I don't think so. Frozen Breath!" Maria exclaimed, freezing the mermaids in the icy prison globe. Yuri immediately proceeded to solidify the globe with her magic and make it more vulnerable to their attacks.

"Sea Hurricane!" Eril exclaimed, sending a powerful tornado that slammed onto the globe, shattering it a bit and sending a shockwave within that stunned the mermaids.

"Take this!" Izure exclaimed as she sent two water dragons to shatter the icy globe and cancel the mermaid's aura that magnify their singing.

"What? What happened?" Hanon said in shock.

"Impossible!" Lucia exclaimed, also in great shock.

"It's just as I feared. They actually combined their powers." Rina frowned. She doesn't know if she can handle their combined attack in her current state.

"Did you really think you can take us on so easily?" Yuri smirked.

"Oh but wait, there is more." Eril grinned widely.

"Now it's time…" Izure stopped mid-sentence for Maria to finish.

"For the Dark Lovers ultimate attack!" Maria exclaimed.

"Panthalassa's Retribution!" The four water demons exclaimed simultaneously, sending a dark beam filled with lightning at the three mermaids, a technique that they previously used against Goku in Lucia's kingdom. The three mermaids screamed in immense pain, not being able to move a muscle. This time the attack was more potent, as all four of the Dark Lovers were now present and the mermaids will most certainly die if the water demons carry out their attack to the end.

"How does it fell, mermaid princesses?! That was the exact same pain that you inflicted on us and by extension, our master!" Yuri exclaimed in fury.

"We will make you pay for all the trouble you caused us!" Izure exclaimed, empowering the attack, along with the other three Dark Lovers. The mermaids screamed at the top of their lungs just barely trying to withstand the immense pain of their attack. Rina more so, because she had to endure their attacks before Lucia and Hanon showed up and all of her cuts and bruises are only making things worse.

The situation seemed hopeless for the three mermaid princesses until suddenly, something happened that the Dark Lovers were not prepared for.

"Voice of the Purple Pearl!" The unknown voice said from behind them. It turns out to be the same mermaid that appeared frequently on the island, the one Rina was searching for, along with Noel.

"What, one more mermaid princess?!" Maria exclaimed. The water demons cancelled their attack in shock and also not wanting to kill the mermaids, otherwise they would answer to Gaito. But before they could react, the purple mermaid started to sing a song of her own, a New Love.

"With an old scent shines a whole new day  
And smile is found on your face  
Are you watching me, is my gaze foreign?  
You are making lights for my imagination, you are well known to me."

"Wishes are guiding me, they weave everything.

They will probably bring you to him.

Blindly follow me, give yourself in"

"Under the warm wings my wishes will fly to you.  
I'm coming to see you now, so i have to wait no more.  
Under the same sky are you and me, but everyone choses their own path.  
I will let my will go wild, and you hug me tightly."

To the water demon's surprise, this mermaid princess was far more powerful than Lucia, Hanon and Rina individually as her power was too much for them to bear, making them retreat to Gaito's castle.

Lucia and Hanon lost most of their strength enduring that painful attack that they threw at them. But Rina was at her wits end as she barely mustered her strength to stay conscious.

"Rina!" Lucia and Hanon exclaimed, grabbing a sinking mermaid by her arms.

"Are you alright? Please say something!" Lucia exclaimed, frowning sadly and forming tears in her eyes at seeing Rina in such battered state. But Rina managed to open one eye and barely another.

"I'll be alright." Rina winced, but smiled in pain. She can't even move a muscle, but she gathered just enough strength to stay conscious for the time being.

Then the three mermaids turned their attention towards the unknown savior in front of them. This purple mermaid princess proved that she was really powerful if she could take on all four of the Dark Lovers alone. But still, even though she also proved without a doubt that she was their ally, there are still questions that needed to be answered: Who is this unknown mermaid and for what reason does she stare at them so sternly? The answers to her mysterious appearance are sure to follow for the three mermaid princesses.


	12. Chapter 12

~Another Mermaid Princess?~

The three mermaid princesses were saved from certain doom by an unknown purple mermaid in front of them, still in her Idol Form. This proved that she too is a mermaid princess, but judging by her expression on her face, she is not in a good mood, especially when she is seemingly focusing her stern gaze on wounded Rina for reasons none of them know yet. But with battle over, the purple mermaid's singing aura dissipated, but without reverting to mermaid form.

" _Incredible, she had defeated all four of the Dark Lovers by herself. Who is she?"_ Hanon thought. The three mermaids were amazed by her level of power if she could defeat the water demons by herself. Sure Goku can do it too, but they never saw one of their own who is that strong.

"Thank you so much for saving us, can you please tell us your name?" Lucia smiled, though she felt a jolt of pain in her chest from all the pain she endured, wincing a bit.

"My name is Karen, mermaid princess of Antarctica." She said with a stern look still on her face.

"Great, now there are four mermaid princesses who are together." Hanon smiled weakly. She too was weakened from that attack as much as Lucia, but Rina was more injured of the three, as she couldn't even move after the water demons' combined might. With all of her cuts and bruises on her body, it's hard for her to even stay conscious.

"Just a minute." Karen said angrily, drawing the mermaid's attention. "Who said that I will be joining you? Don't make me laugh." She frowned further, locking her gaze at wounded Rina.

"But why not? If we are together, then… Argh!" Hanon exclaimed, feeling a strong jolt of pain surging through her chest as well, closing her right eye as she rubbed her chest.

"Princess Karen, can you please help us? We got beat up pretty badly after that attack." Lucia pleaded, but it seemingly fell on deaf ears for Karen.

"I would help you, but…" Karen then glanced at Rina. "…that would also mean helping that… traitor." Karen said spitefully at last sentence.

"T-traitor? W-what do you…mean?" Rina said low and weakly tone. Karen merely scoffed as she folded her arms.

"Don't think your wounded state will change my mind." Karen said harshly. The mermaids said nothing as all three of them were looking at her in confusion.

"You still don't get it? Well, let me make it clear to you. I am sister of the princess of Arctic, Noel." Karen said. This news was an immense surprise for her.

" _Noel's sister?!"_ Rina thought loudly in shock.

Lucia and Hanon had no idea what was going on, but Rina was too injured to linger any longer.

"I don't know what you are trying to say, but Rina needs treatment immediately! Please help us, she is severely wounded!" Lucia pleaded again, but Karen merely turned around, not interested in helping someone who turned her back on her sister. She sighed slightly as her anger dissipated a bit. She hated her for abandoning Noel, but not to the point of wanting her dead.

"Take her to the surface and get her some help. Once she is feeling better, she will explain everything to you, if she is truly your friend. As for me…" She then turned back to her mermaid form. "… I am going to look for my sister." She said before she departed, shocking Lucia and Hanon.

"Where are you going?!" Lucia exclaimed desperately.

"Come back here!" Hanon exclaimed angrily. Moments later, Karen already made her distance, making Hanon growl loudly. "That little… How could she leave us like this?! That stupid bimbo!" Hanon exclaimed, then feeling again a strong surge of pain in her chest again, spreading through her entire body.

"Never mind her Hanon, we need to get to the surface immediately and get Goku, he can take her to the hospital on his Flying Nimbus." Lucia frowned.

"Right." Hanon nodded. Lucia and Hanon then hurried to take injured Rina to the surface as fast as possible and find Goku.

* * *

Fortunately for the three mermaids, Goku was doing some afternoon training on the beach, throwing punches and kicks so he could stay in shape before he returned home for real training. Lucia, Hanon and Rina have immediately shifted to their human forms, but Rina could only do so much as Lucia and Hanon had to carry her by her arms on their shoulders.

"Goku!" a familiar voice shouted from behind him. He turned around curiously, but then he gasped in shock as he looked at Lucia and Hanon in battered state, Rina more so.

"Lucia, Hanon, Rina!" Goku shouted, running towards them. "What happened, who did this to you?" He frowned. His anger was slowly rising when he saw his friends wounded, especially Lucia.

Lucia didn't know what to say, she couldn't tell Goku that they were attacked by the Dark Lovers, but Hanon decided to step in.

"We will explain later, but right now we need to help Rina. She lost consciousness and needs help!" Hanon exclaimed desperately. Goku remained silent for a few moments before he nodded, taking Rina in his arms bridal style.

"Quick, hold tight on my back." Goku urged. Lucia and Hanon did what he said. Before they knew it, Goku jumped high in the air to the seventh floor, where the balcony window was wide open. Lucia and Hanon were surprised that he could jump that high, but then again, it was nothing compared to what he did in all his battles.

Hippo was startled that they appeared like that out of nowhere, but his face was filled with shock and horror at seeing the mermaids so injured.

"Oh no! What happened?!" Hippo exclaimed, running immediately to their side.

Goku didn't waste time as he placed Rina in bed, leaning her head gently on the pillow.

"Goku, you are supposed to take her to the hospital, not here!" Hanon said loudly.

"Yes, Rina needs help from the doctor, you need to hurry and take her there." Lucia frowned sadly, extremely worried for Rina's wellbeing. But Goku was more focused on sensing Rina's life force, despite being covered in cuts and bruises, with blood dripping from some of the cuts.

"There is no need." Goku smiled, relieved that Rina was not in critical condition after all. He was rather impressed. Despite her severe injuries, she is still holding on.

"What?!" Lucia, Hanon and Hippo exclaimed, shocked to hear such a thing from him. But Goku merely stood up to explain.

"There is nothing to worry about. She is maybe wounded, but her energy is not dropping, which means that she is mostly unconscious." He then turned towards Lucia and Hanon with a frown. "But you all look like you have been in some kind of battle. Have you been fighting someone?" He asked. He knew that they were no fighters, but he recognized those injuries all too well, since he had a fair share of battle wounds himself.

Lucia and Hanon had no idea what to say as they looked at each other, knowing they were busted, since they did fought against the Dark Lovers, but they couldn't tell him that for obvious reasons. At the moment, Goku could only guess who they were fighting, but he could sense a very weak and dark energy radiating from those wounds, especially from Rina. It seemed extremely familiar, though he was more worried about healing them at the moment.

It was at those few moments of silence that Hippo stepped in, since Goku already knew he could talk.

"Please Mr. Goku, can you help them recover first? They look like they are gonna faint." Hippo urged. Goku looked at him for a second before he pondered on it. He realized he was right, now is not the time for questioning.

"Sure. Hippo, I need you to take care of them while I'm gone. I'll be back as soon as I can." Goku said, going to the balcony and jumping on the fence.

"Wait, where are you going?" Lucia asked, but she winced at yet another surge of pain in her chest. From the inside, Goku felt his anger and rage steadily rising the longer he saw Lucia in such a state, but all he could for now is smile.

"I'm going to see Korin to get some Senzu Beans to fix you guys up. Don't worry, I'll be back soon." Goku smiled before he turned towards the sky. "FLYING NIMBUS!" He called for his cloud. At his call, a yellow cloud descended from the sky and right in front of Goku. He didn't waste a second as he immediately flew at fast speed towards Korin's tower.

Lucia and Hanon merely looked at Goku's departure with confused expressions.

"Korin?" Hanon said.

"Senzu Beans?" Lucia said. Hippo then came to two mermaids, bringing with him first aid kit.

"Girls, come inside and get some rest. I'll help you fix those wounds." Hippo said.

"Right." Lucia and Hanon said simultaneously. Soon enough, the two mermaids were sitting on the sofa in the living room, with Hippo helping them put on the bandages.

"Can you now tell me what happened?" Hippo said as he bandaged Lucia's arm. Lucia then frowned in guilt.

"The water demons. All four of them combined their powers against us and nearly got us killed, especially Rina. Before Hanon and I arrived, Rina was severely wounded when she faced them all alone." Lucia said in sad tone.

"Yeah, they would have finished us for good if it weren't for Karen. We didn't even have a chance against that furious attack." Hanon frowned. She blamed herself for falling into their trap, along with Lucia and Rina, but what is done is done and thanks to Karen, all three of them survived. But Hanon's mention of Karen reminded Lucia of the subject.

"Speaking of which, Karen has called Rina a traitor after she saved us. Do you know anything that happened between them?" Lucia asked curiously. Hippo shook his head.

"No, I don't." He said. Then he was in the deep thought as he remembered something. "Although…"

He stopped mid-sentence, making Lucia and Hanon curious.

"Although what?" The two mermaids asked. Hippo then continued.

"I heard that the princess of Antarctica Karen and princess of Arctic Noel are the twin sisters who share the same fate. However, at this very moment, Noel is imprisoned by Gaito with no chance of escaping. Karen is dealing with those painful moments with extreme difficulty." Hippo frowned slightly.

"I see. But what it has to do with Rina? Why would Karen call her a traitor?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Well, I guess we will find out when she wakes up, she owes us that much for saving her life." Then Hanon stood up from her sofa, but still wincing from the pain in her body. She then turned her attention towards Lucia. "Now let's go and get some rest. In the meantime, Goku better brings those beans if they are of any worth." Hanon said skeptically. She never heard of these Senzu Beans that Goku mentioned and she could hardly believe that something miniscule as a bean can restore them to full health.

"He will Hanon, just you wait!" Lucia exclaimed, infuriated that Hanon would think that Goku is lying. But the strain of her sudden anger had an effect on her body and they went to rest on bed for Goku to come back with Senzu Beans, but not before telling Hippo to wake them up should Rina regain consciousness. Hippo then proceeded to put some bandages on Rina's wounds as well.

* * *

Meanwhile, while Goku is flying with all haste to Korin's tower, he was pondering on the wounds that were inflicted on his friends, especially Lucia.

" _I know that they fought someone, those battle wounds are the proof of that. But I don't understand, they are not fighters like I am, so how did they get beaten up like that?"_ Goku frowned, in deep thought about recent event. He felt an immense anger in his heart that he still couldn't shake off, especially when Lucia was beaten up badly. Though not as much as Rina, he was still extremely angry as he wanted to make those responsible pay dearly for what they have done. But soon he composed himself as he concentrated on slim evidence that he discovered.

" _Then again, I sensed a very weak, but sinister energy from those wounds. They were more present on Rina's wounds, since she was the most injured of the three."_ He thought. He concentrated as he tried to analyze that dark, but very weak energy signal he sensed. He frowned further as he realized who is responsible, gritting his teeth in anger.

" _Dark Lovers, they are the ones who did it."_ He thought angrily, clenching his fists. _"I was such a fool for sparing them over and over. I should have known they would attack innocent people sooner or later, Lucia and her friends of all people."_ He thought. His anger and rage boiled as he wanted to tear those witches apart for what they have done to Lucia, a person who wouldn't hurt a fly even if she tried.

But moments later he realized with perfect clarity the reason of attacking specifically Lucia, Hanon and Rina. They knew they couldn't defeat him, so they turned his attention on his friends instead, so they could make him suffer through them. He was a fool for being so merciful and next time it won't be the case.

But in those moments of anger, Goku got a glance of an immense pillar in front of him. At that point, the negative thoughts vented from his mind and he smiled, relieved that he made it to his destination sooner than expected.

"Great, I made it." Goku smiled. He then flied high to Korin's sanctuary at fast speed. In a few minutes, he reached the top and jumped on the platform. He looked around the sanctuary and it looked exactly the same like when he first visited six years ago and again after his battle against King Piccolo three years ago.

"Master Korin?" Goku called out. "Master Korin, where are you? It's me, Goku." He repeated. There was still no answer, as Korin was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Goku, it's been a long time." A familiar voice said. Goku turned around to find a certain Wildman he met, who has his usual frown.

"Oh hi Yajirobe, how are you?" Goku raised his hand to greet his friend with wide toothy grin.

"Meh, it's alright, besides the fact that there is no TV or barbecue up here. It's always those lousy beans he keeps growing out of nowhere." He said in low and grumpy tone. Goku merely laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. He didn't change at all after all these years.

"Speaking of which, where can I find Korin? I came here so he can give me some Senzu Beans." Goku asked with typical innocent expression.

"You will find him downstairs. He is probably cooking fish for himself or looking through the jar again." Yajirobe pointed to the stairs from his left.

"Okay, thanks." He waved before he went downstairs. Soon enough, he reached the lower platform, already smelling a delicious aroma of fish that Korin is currently roasting.

"Master Korin?" Goku said as he entered the room.

"Ahh, hey there Goku, long time no see." Korin greeted him light-heartedly as he brought the plate of fish on the table.

"Yeah, it's been a while." Goku smiled, rubbing his head.

"So, what brings you here? I thought you were still training with Kami up at the lookout." Korin asked, carrying with him the walking stick he always has with him.

"Well, I finished my training with Kami and Mr. Popo sooner and that's why I now train by myself." Goku smiled before his face changed to serious frown. "But look, I came here because I need your help Master Korin." He asked.

"What do you want me to do?" Korin asked.

"Well, do you have any Senzu Beans that I can take? Three of my friends were beat up pretty badly and I think I know who is responsible." Goku explained. Korin already knew of the events that followed during Goku's first encounter with the Dark Lovers. He kept an eye on him ever since he left the lookout and he was rather surprised at the enemies he saw.

"It's those four wicked girls from the sea that you fight over and over again, isn't it?" Korin said. Goku was surprised at a sudden correct answer.

"What? How do you know all that?" Goku asked, baffled that he knew all of that information without even telling him. Korin merely let out a muffled laugh, after all these years Goku didn't change at all.

"Did you forget? I can read minds Goku." Korin said as he tapped his head lightly with his stick. "Plus I was keeping an eye on you from time to time." He said.

"You did?" Goku asked with blank expression.

"Yeah, you are fun to watch when you beat up those nasty fish girls from the sea. Plus it gives me some peace and quiet when Yajirobe starts to yell and complain a lot." Korin said in low and grumpy as he went to fill a sack with Senzu Beans. He realized that he only needed three, but giving him a full sack will supply him with beans if he is to get himself in danger again, knowing Goku.

"Here you go kid, make sure you use them wisely, it's not exactly that I'm running a bean factory here." Korin said sarcastically as he tossed the beans to Goku. Goku smiled brightly at his former teacher.

"Wow, a full sack? Thanks Master Korin." Goku said cheerfully.

"There is no need to call me like that, you have already surpassed my teachings. Just call me Korin." Korin grinned.

"Oh ok, thanks Korin." Goku smiled. Then two of them went upstarts near the fence.

"But still Goku, I wouldn't take those witches and their master so lightly." Korin said grimly as he gazed at the horizon. "At this point, they may prove to be more imminent threat then Piccolo." He said. Goku was surprised that he knows that too, but then again, it's been three years.

"So you know that King Piccolo survived too?" Goku frowned slightly.

"Yes, I do. But it seems that he is keeping low profile in that period of time for some reason. But that's good, since the only havoc he will cause will no doubt be at the World Martial Arts Tournament." He then glanced towards Goku. "But you need to be prepared for anything Goku, I sense that your fight with those four is only the beginning of things to come." He said grimly.

"Is there something that I need to know about them?" Goku asked curiously. Korin was in deep thought as he remembered the terrible catastrophe that happened long ago.

"I think I recall the events that happened five hundred years ago, similar to this one. It was a dark and terrible time, long before you and your friends were born. Long before Kami became the guardian of the Earth and before even Piccolo was born." Korin said. In all honestly, it wasn't as nearly as horrifying as it was during King Piccolo's campaign of extermination, but it was still a force that threatened the entire world.

Goku's eyes went wide in shock as he was surprised he lives that long.

"Seriously?! You were there five hundred years ago?!" Goku exclaimed loudly before Korin smacked him in the head with his stick for breaking his thoughts.

"Ouch! That hurt!" Goku whined, rubbing his head where Korin hit him.

"Keep your big mouth shut, I'm trying to make things clear for your childish brain!" He yelled. Goku merely pouted childishly as he remained silent, continuing to rub his sore head.

"Now, as I was saying…" Korin continued, having flashbacks of those dark moments.

"Long ago, a terrible bunch called Panthalassa had terrorized the surface world from the sea. Many lives were dragged to the bottom of the ocean at the hands of enslaved, giant sea creatures that were commanded by their leaders. But it was nothing compared to what they had in store." Korin frowned.

"From the depths of the sea, a massive army was banded together, so they could launch an invasion and conquer this world for themselves. Lilith, a terrible goddess of darkness, who was their matron, manifested in its physical form at the time when her powers were at its peak to lead the charge herself." He said, having flashback as how he witnessed these events from the jar at the top of his tower, worried that things could go terribly wrong. The goddess had a shape of a beautiful, curvy, dark purple-skinned woman with draconic horns on her head and a few scales on her arms.

" _Crush them, let none survive!" The evil goddess said, pointing above her to commence the invasion._

"But they were stopped by an army of mermaid warriors lead by the leaders called the mermaid princesses." He said. Goku's eyes went slightly wide in surprise as he heard those words before.

" _Mermaid princesses? Why does it sound so familiar?"_ Goku thought. He remembered that those Dark Lovers mentioned mermaid princesses several times when he fought them, but for some reason he has flashbacks of his mermaid from before at the mention of those two words.

"They suffered heavy losses when Lilith herself entered the fray, none of them stood a chance, not even their leaders, despite their united power." He said, with flashback of an evil goddess laughing maniacally as he crushed the armies of good and their leaders.

"But it wasn't until _their_ goddess, Aqua Regina, decided to step in and end the fight." Korin said.

" _So, you have finally decided to show up, coward. Now face me if you dare!" She grinned maliciously as she started to growl loudly, her voice being deeper by the second as she started to unveil her true form. She slowly grew larger and larger until she was fifty feet tall in size, with dark cloud surrounding her form, sprouting massive wings and a tail, her skin turned into solid scale of pure shadow, her legs forming to be dragon like and as well as her arms with sharp claws, taking the form which is a combination of a humanoid demon and a dragon, to show the evil and ruthlessness from respective sides. Her eyes turned bloody red, glowing with unbridled fury._

 _With a loud and howling roar, the armies of Aqua Regina trembled at a sight of this monstrous abomination, their death being imminent by the second. But as she is about to make her charge and wipe out the last vestiges of resistance along with the goddess herself, Aqua Regina decided to end this battle._

" _You will not bring death and despair to these peaceful seas Lilith. Your evil ways will end today!" Aqua Regina declared boldly as she raised her staff high, glowing with bright light that illuminated for miles around._

" _What?!" Lilith exclaimed in shock. Lilith covered her eyes as Aqua Regina used all of her power to defeat Lilith and banish the entire army to the bottom of the sea._

"Aqua Regina knew that Lilith was too great a threat to be imprisoned, so she used all the power she had to destroy her, while Lilith's army was banished in the darkness far below the ocean. Lilith was no more, but her evil powers remained on this world. Knowing that the goddess could not destroy the dark power of the evil deity completely due to using all of her energy to defeat them all, she separated that enormous energy into two separate powers. One was darkness and the other was the light, the one that the goddess herself blessed in hopes that a hero will emerge to fight his evil counterpart." He said, having flashback at how Aqua Regina split shadow and light orbs from one another and casted them to the opposite sides of the planet. Aqua Regina, along with Korin, who was spectating from his tower, knew that those two powers will manifest sooner or later into beings that will either save this world or destroy it. They never knew when exactly, but all they could do at the time is hope.

"If what you are saying is true Goku, then I believe that they have finally shown up to ensue chaos again." He glanced at Goku. "Those four that you fought may cause more trouble then you realize, so I want you to stop them no matter what."

"I will Korin, don't worry." Goku frowned, clenching his fists. His anger boiled again as he remembered Lucia and her friend being beaten badly by those four. He won't be so merciful if he is ever to encounter them again.

Then his eyes shot wide in shock as he remembered about Lucia.

"On no, how could I forget?! Sorry Korin, but I need to go. Lucia and her friends need me." Goku frowned, jumping immediately on Nimbus and flying back towards the mermaids at maximum speed.

Korin was taken aback a bit by those few surprising moments, but he merely grinned as he watched him depart, smiling.

" _Ah well, I guess with him on watch, there is nothing to worry about. If he was able to defeat King Piccolo when he was just a child, I can't even imagine how strong he had become during his training with Kami."_ Korin thought. Moments later, Yajirobe came next to Korin.

"Hey, did Goku leave already?" Yajirobe asked

"Yeah, I gave him Senzu Beans and a little advice before…" Korin stopped mid-sentence as he noticed crumbs on his mouth.

"Yajirobe, did you eat my food?" Korin frowned. He knew that he ate the fish he roasted, but he wanted to hear it from him.

"No, I didn't, why are you blaming me for your lousy food?" Yajirobe frowned, playing dumb as he turned sideways.

"Because you have crumbs on your mouth, you fat liar! And who told you that you can eat my fish?!" Korin yelled.

"Well, if you haven't been so stingy, maybe I wouldn't!" Yajirobe yelled back.

"Oh even if I wasn't "stingy" you would have eaten it anyway!" Korin yelled again.

"Hey! I am not the one who…" And Yajirobe and Korin continued to argue as Goku made his way back to heal Lucia and quickly as possible, along with Hanon and Rina. He instantly gets angry the moment he made an image of them being beaten up by the Dark Lovers. He gritted his teeth at the thought. It was almost the same situation like when King Piccolo threated to kill Tien if he didn't submit. This was almost the same, only it was Lucia of all people, the person he started to care about. But he stopped thinking about those thoughts as he focused on helping her and her friends.

* * *

At the same time, back in the hotel resort, Hippo was tending to Rina, who was still unconscious from that brutal assault. Lucia and Hanon were slowly recovering, but were still in pain from the inside because their bodies didn't fully heal. Lucia believed Goku that these Senzu Beans he mentioned could heal them completely, but Hanon had doubt about it and if it's some sort of cruel joke, then she will give Goku a hard smack to the face and get Rina to the hospital herself.

But within Rina's mind, she was dreaming about that moment that she met with Noel in her kingdom in Arctic.

" _Rina, the Panthalassa's attacks are getting stronger by the day and it's only a matter of time before this kingdom falls to ruin as well." Noel said worryingly to her friend and ally, Rina. The green mermaid grabbed Noel's arms in support._

" _Noel, I promise that I will be the first to come to your aid if anything happens." Rina said with determined look._

" _Thank you so much Rina. I will try to do everything that is within my power to help your kingdom as well." Noel smiled gratefully, glad that she had a loyal friend like her._

 _Her eyebrows twitched in frown as she had again a memory of them being attacked by Gaito and Yuri, with Noel saving her from Yuri's attack and let her being captured instead of Rina._

" _No Rina, run away! RUN!" Noel exclaimed as she was pulled away from her friend._

" _NOEL!" Rina exclaimed in desperation, reaching her hand to save her, but she alone was powerless against Gaito and her servant._

Rina shot open her eyes, breathing hard as she stood up. This surprised Lucia, Hanon and Hippo.

"Rina!" Lucia and Hanon said, immediately standing up and coming to her aid.

"Miss. Rina, please lie still, you haven't recovered yet." Hippo urged, but Rina didn't hear what he said as her mind was slowly rebooting after that sudden awakening.

"Lucia? Hanon? Hippo?" Rina said, glancing around her surroundings. "Where am i?" She said, rubbing her head for a pain in her head to subside.

"Back in the hotel resort. You were unconscious after the water demons attacked us, but Goku helped us get you here." Lucia smiled, relieved that she finally awoke from her coma. Rina blushed slightly and her eyes went slightly wide, though fortunately, Lucia did not notice.

"Goku?" Rina said in surprise.

"Yeah, he said he went to get some medicine to heal you completely." Hanon smiled, also relieved that her friend is slowly recovering. But then Rina gasped as she remembered about her captured ally.

"Noel! I must find her!" Rina said as she forcefully tried to stand up, despite her wounds, but the pain she endured was too much for her to resist as the attack took its toll on her body.

"Don't worry Rina, we will find her, but please get some rest." Lucia pleaded, but Rina did not listen. She just had to save Noel, so she could make amends to Karen and set this right.

"By the way, why does Karen hate you so much? Why did she call you a traitor?" Hanon asked curiously. It may not be a good time for questioning, but they deserve some answers after what they have done for her. But Rina merely closed her eyes frowned.

"It doesn't matter, now leave me alone." Rina said.

"Leave you alone? We put our lives on the line for you, the least you can do is tell us the story of Karen's hatred for you." Hanon frowned, not wanting to back down, which made Rina more frustrated.

"I told you it doesn't matter, now both of you get out!" Rina said loudly.

"Is that how you treat your friends?! Just chasing them away whenever you are angry? Well for your information, if it was any other case and if it wasn't for Lucia, I wouldn't even bother to be worried about you because of your selfish behavior!" Hanon said. Rina was getting angrier the more she has to hear her yelling.

"I SAID GET OUT AND LEAVE ME ALO- AAAH!" Rina fell off from bed right on her face, forcefully trying to get up. Her anger was boiling at them being so pushy, but it was mixed with pain she felt and sorrow that was slowly beginning to replace her anger. Hippo went immediately to her aid, but it did not stop Hanon from scolding her further.

"Hippo told us that Noel was captured by Gaito and because of that Karen hates you for some reason. You are not leaving this room until you tell us the truth!" Hanon frowned.

"Hanon please, don't be so hard on her, she is already in too much pain." Lucia frowned sadly a bit, placing a hand on Hanon's shoulder to calm her down.

"Come on Lucia, all of us would have been finished if it wasn't for Karen. I am going to get to the bottom of this and…" Hanon stopped mid-sentence as she heard a sad sniffing and a few hiccups.

To Lucia's and Hanon's great surprise, it was Rina who started to cry in immense pain and sorrow, she didn't even had the strength to get up as she merely remained lying down on her stomach, standing only on her elbows, with tears flowing and dripping from her eyes. Deep down, Rina couldn't tell Lucia and Hanon the truth, knowing that her cowardice would probably result in not only Karen's hatred for her, but also Lucia's and Hanon's and they were her best friends. Knowing that she would be hated by the two girls who considered her a best friend is simply heartbreaking. But now, with them being so insistent, she would just have to accept the fact that she would be hated if she was to tell them the truth.

Lucia and Hanon frowned sadly as all of the anger and doubt dissipated. Now Hanon felt bad that she caused Rina so much pain with her words, but it was out of good intentions, since both of them considered Rina to be a sister they never had. Lucia approached Rina and placed her hand gently on her shoulder.

"Rina, please tell us what happened, we are just trying to help you. Please." Lucia pleaded in a low and gentle voice, hoping that her words will get through to her. With little choice she had, Rina just went into explanations.

"I never had the strength… to talk about it, but…" Rina stammered through her sniffs and hiccups, barely containing the sorrow within her so she could continue to explain. "The reason why Karen doesn't trust is because she believes that I abandoned her sister Noel and allowed her to be imprisoned by Gaito." She said, clenching her fists hard. Though the longer she talked about it, the tighter the lump in her neck was and more tears flowed from her eyes.

"When he attacked my kingdom, she sacrificed herself to save me from Gaito's grasp. However, Karen never heard the whole story and that's why she firmly considers me a traitor. That's why I have to rescue them." She said, sniffing and hiccupping between sentences.

"Now I understand." Hanon said in low tone, looking down on the floor.

"Lucia, Hanon, I am so sorry that I haven't told you about this earlier. You are my best friends and I knew I will have to tell you about this someday, but… but…" Rina stammered, but stopped, not having the strength to continue anymore. Her sorrow mixed with pain from her injuries was too much for her to take, she could only hope that the two mermaids will understand. If not, then she will be all alone again with her only friends hating her to the core for what she had done.

But Lucia merely smiled gently in compassion as she understood her pain, placing her hand on her right shoulder.

"Rina, I know that sometimes you cannot describe in words what you are feeling in your heart, but even then we understand you. That's what friends are for, we will be here for you." Lucia smiled. Hanon also approached Rina and placed her own hand on Rina's left shoulder.

"That's right. I'm sorry for what I said earlier, I didn't mean any of it. I was just very concerned about you, as was Lucia." Hanon frowned sadly before she smiled. "But no matter what, we will always be your friends Rina." She smiled.

Rina was surprised to hear the words of comfort instead of more scolding, but in turn, it relieved her of massive stone from her heart that caused her pain from the inside and possible rejection. But knowing that they will always be there for her simply melted her heart, she was truly blessed that she has such caring and loyal friends like them.

"Lucia, Hanon." She said, smiling sadly as she glanced between the two. Lucia and Hanon smiled in return.

"Now let's get you back to bed so you can rest until Goku comes back. Then after you are fully healed, we can search for Noel together." Lucia smiled. Rina silently nodded as Lucia and Hanon helped her lie down on bed. Rina wiped the tears from her eyes with a towel she had on the desk beside her.

But almost on cue, they heard a familiar humming voice that was flying fast towards them. It was Goku, who finally arrived with Senzu Beans to fix them up. Lucia smiled brightly at the sight of him.

"Goku, you came back." Lucia smiled.

"Did you bring those Senzu Beans?" Hanon smiled. She was still skeptical about the healing properties of those beans, but she is willing to play along with Goku's statement.

"Yeah, Korin gave me a full sack, there is more than enough for each of you." Goku smiled brightly, pulling out two beans for Lucia and Hanon.

"Here you go." He handed two beans to them. Lucia and Hanon took each bean before Goku went to give Rina her own. Lucia immediately chewed the bean, while Hanon was a little hesitant before she too chewed the bean.

"Hi Rina." Goku smiled, waving in greetings.

"Hey Goku, what's up?" Rina said weakly, blushing slightly as she remembered that Goku brought her here, though Goku did not notice has he pulled another Senzu Bean from his sack.

"I brought you a Senzu Bean to fix you up. Here, eat." He tried to feed her, but Rina was also hesitant. She was skeptical about it until she noticed Lucia and Hanon eating the beans as well. After that, she opened her mouth for Goku to feed her, chewing on the bean and swallowing it.

But to their immense surprise, their eyes went wide as they felt how their injuries were instantly healed and they felt like they have eaten a truck load of food. The first to have effect were on Lucia and Hanon, followed by Rina, her eyes shot wide as she got up instantly. Hippo's eyes bulged out in shock at seeing how they instantly recovered after eating a single bean.

"Wow, Incredible! I don't have a scratch on me, it's like it never happened." Lucia smiled brightly as she removed the bandages and checked her body.

"Unbelievable! It's simply a miracle, the pain is completely gone!" Hanon smiled brightly. Then the two of them went to Rina, who was removing bandages of her own, simply stunned at how all of her injuries were erased, as if they were never inflicted.

"Rina, your wounds! They are completely gone!" Lucia said cheerfully.

"Amazing. It's like the pain never existed." Rina looked at her arms in shock, checking the rest of her body. Then the three mermaids looked at each other and smiled brightly. Lucia and Hanon laughed out loud childishly as they hugged each other tightly along with Rina, happy that everything turned out alright in the end.

Goku merely let out a muffled laugh, smiling as he watched them celebrate their recovery. Even he was surprised at first that something as miniscule as a bean could have such an effect on a person when he first ate a Senzu Bean. Then Lucia and Hanon turned towards Goku, who went to hug him as well, catching Goku off guard for a second as he fell on the floor.

"Oh thank you Goku, you are truly incredible!" Lucia exclaimed happily, forming tears of joy in her eyes.

"I'm sorry that I ever doubted you, you are so amazing!" Hanon also exclaimed happily. Goku merely laughed childishly, glad that he helped them be all better now. The three mermaids joined him in turn. The rest of the night went blissfully as they were talking about everything that happened in last few days. Goku even made jokes at how Yajirobe keeps eating Korin's food when his back was turned, making them all laugh. Rina merely smiled gratefully as she watched Goku laughing with Lucia and Hanon, without a care in the world. She was glad to have someone as Goku by their side.

* * *

The next day, Goku and the mermaids returned home in South City, where Lucia kept her promise and made him food as a reward for winning the surfing contest. She could have also reminded him of that victory kiss that he also won from that bet, but she was too shy to be so direct with him as she let him eat as blissfully as ever. Since it was a stormy day, the mermaids remained home and Goku did the same, doing some light training in the basement where all of the training equipment is stored.

At the same time, deep beneath the sea, a purple mermaid princess Karen continued to search for Gaito's castle in hopes of rescuing her sister from his prison.

" _Noel, my dearest sister, I miss you so much."_ Karen thought, having unpleasant flashback of that moment that her servants reported terrible news during her stay in her kingdom.

" _Princess Karen, something terrible happened to your sister, she was captured by the Panthalassa." One of the three servants said. This news shocked Karen immensely._

" _Say what?!" Karen exclaimed._

" _Your sister tried to help the mermaid princess of North Atlantic, but she was imprisoned in the attempt." Another servant said, looking down on the floor sadly._

" _Imprisoned?" Karen said in disbelief._

" _It would seem that Princess Rina had abandoned Noel and fled to seek shelter in surface world." Third servant said. Karen gasped in shock at the news, but angered at the same time at Rina for committing such an act._

" _Why Rina? How could you abandon Noel and leave to live with humans, like nothing had happened?"_ She thought, still in disbelief at what happened. Then she frowned angrily. _"I am going to save Noel all by myself, just you wait."_ She thought with determined expression. She could have at least allied with Lucia and Hanon, but Rina is out of the question as she didn't want to hear any excuses. What was done is done and now she must save her older sister born from the other side of the planet.

* * *

Elsewhere, in the shadows of the bottom of the ocean within Gaito's throne room, Gaito had enough of the constant failures from his nitwit servants as he decided to enlist stronger and more powerful servants into the fold.

"The dark clouds cover the sun, creating a storm that riles the waves. It is an honor to be in your presence on this wonderful day." The orange and red-haired woman said.

"We were wondering when you will finally summon us, Master Gaito. We were starting to get impatient." A cyan-haired girl said.

"It's always good to leave the best for last, don't you think?" Gaito smirked. The two unknown beings chuckled maliciously as they were ready to exact pain and suffering to Gaito's enemies.

"Now, let's get down to business. Is it true that you have located a purple pearl mermaid princess?" Gaito said.

"Yes Master Gaito, in fact we were about to make a welcoming party for her, don't you agree, sister Mimi?" The orange and red-haired woman said to the cyan-haired girl known as Mimi.

"That's right. And while we are at it, we should invite the other mermaid princesses, right sister SheShe?" Mimi said to the woman now known as SheShe. Gaito merely smiled at how he had finally found competent and powerful servants to do his bidding.

"It seems I was right to summon you after all." Gaito said as he stood up from his throne.

"Soon we will have all four different pearls to light the darkness." SheShe said.

"It is our gift to you, Master Gaito." Mimi said. The two sisters then departed to confront the mermaids and fulfill their task given to them.

* * *

Later at night, the heavy rain stopped, but roaring thunder and strong winds continued to light the sky and blow everything in its path, though fortunately without any collateral damage. While Goku continued with his training, the three mermaids were waiting for Hippo's pearl radar to catch the signal of Karen's pearl and unite with her before Gaito gets her first.

"Man, it's so boring when its bad weather, I want to see what Taro is doing." Hanon complained, lying on bed with arms and legs spread across the bed.

"I'm such an idiot! I had a chance to spend the day with Goku at home, but I had to come with a stupid excuse of doing homework." Lucia frowned sadly, sitting on the chair.

"Yeah, that is kinda stupid, considering you are as bad as him in classes." Hanon smiled.

"Shut up Hanon!" Lucia whined childishly, with Hanon giggling from her teasing. Rina was leaning against a wall with arms folded, also giggling from Hanon's teasing. Then Hippo barged in the room out of nowhere.

"Girls, girls, I found it!" Hippo darted to the mermaids in a hurry.

"Found what, Hippo?" Lucia asked curiously, rather confused by his sudden urgency.

"Look, the pearl radar is picking up the signal of the purple pearl." Hippo showed the radar to the girls, who is actually picking up the signal where it's travelling to the north.

"Where could she go so late?" Hanon asked.

"Let's not wait to find out. Come on." Rina said to Lucia and Hanon, with two mermaids nodding in agreement. All three mermaids then rushed to confront Karen and discover her intentions.

* * *

At the same time, Karen had decided to further monitor the human that the other mermaids have befriended, namely Goku. She knew that he is no ordinary human and that was proved when he fought the Dark Lover Maria in the woods at the day of the barbecue. She might even enlist his aid in rescuing Noel from Gaito's domain. Even though it was against her nature to seek help from the humans, she will go to any lengths to save her beloved sister, no matter the risks.

But then, two malicious beings appeared from her left side.

"You seem lost, little mermaid." A sinister voice said from her left who appeared to be SheShe. Karen found two water demons that were a lot different from the other four she fought before.

"How about we point her in the right direction?" Mimi grinned.

"What? Who are you?" Karen clenched her fists. But the sisters said nothing as they merely proceeded to capture the mermaid.

Meanwhile, Lucia, Hanon and Rina ran to the shore to catch up to Karen. Much to their surprise and shock, Karen was trapped in yellow orb, unable to escape, dragged further away into the sea.

"Oh no, they must have got her as well." Hanon frowned.

"Then let's not waste time, hurry!" Rina exclaimed as she darted to rescue Karen. She may have failed to save Noel back then, but she'll be damned if she would let the same thing happen to her sister.

"Rina, wait up!" Lucia said, running to catch up with her.

While the three mermaids were in pursuit, the water demon sisters dragged Karen to the bottom of the sea, where they will wait for the other mermaid princesses to appear. Karen tried to break free, slamming her fists on the bubble, but to no effect. Also, she was glaring daggers at the two enemies in front of her, who merely chuckled in amusement.

"My dear, you are looking at me with such hate in your eyes. I think I'm starting to like you." SheShe said in a mocking tone.

"Soon we will have a whole rainbow of pearls, including Pink, blue and green pearls." Mimi said.

"Exactly." SheShe said, grabbing Mimi's chin gently in delight. Karen was shocked at the realization of their plan.

" _Oh no, they are going to use me as a bait to capture the other three mermaid princesses!"_ Karen thought loudly.

Almost on cue, the three mermaids were getting near.

"Over there!" Lucia said, pointing in the direction where Karen was trapped, seemingly all alone.

"No, run, get out of here!" Karen yelled, waving her hands to make them turn away, but none of them could hear her due to the bubble suppressing her voice to a mere whisper from that distance. But as the three mermaids were drawing near, the evil sisters appeared from behind the cover to greet them.

"What? Who are you two?" Lucia frowned, clenching her fists as she had never seen these two before.

"We are the Black Beauty Sisters. My name is SheShe." She said.

"And I am Mimi, She She's younger sister." Mimi grinned.

"And for our welcoming present… Flash of the Deeps!" The two sisters said simultaneously, gesturing for the surrounding aquatic creatures to cast a bright flash from their eyes, blinding the mermaids in a mocking manner. The sisters laughed at how they got started by that simple trick.

"What was that?" Lucia said.

"Are they mocking us?" Hanon frowned.

"You two have no idea who you are dealing with." Rina frowned.

"Now, how about you come along with us, mermaid princesses?" SheShe smirked.

"That's right, into the paradise of the deeps." Mimi said, gesturing with a finger to come. The three mermaids would not be fooled so easily as they clearly did not come here for small talk.

"You got another thing coming if you think we will surrender to you." Lucia frowned with determined look. Hanon and Rina were rather surprised by her behavior, but were glad that she is speaking like a true mermaid princess, instead of being just a love-struck schoolgirl.

But these words only brought the evil sisters amusement.

"Well now, the sea is full of determined women, isn't it?" SheShe said as she glanced towards Mimi.

"It would seem so, this is going to be fun." Mimi smirked. The two sisters then gestured their hand forward, blowing on their palms and conjuring yellow bubbles at them. This alarmed Karen greatly as it was the same technique that imprisoned her.

"No, move away, if those bubbles touch you, you will be captured like me!" Karen yelled. With Rina's quick reaction, she grabbed Lucia and Hanon by their arms and swimmed upward, dodging the trap technique. With no time to waste, the three mermaids activated their pearls.

"Voice of the Pink Pearl!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Voice of the Blue Pearl!" Hanon exclaimed.

"Voice of the Green Pearl!" Rina exclaimed.

The three mermaids assumed their Idol Forms and immediately went for their singing.

"Live for you, mermaid voice!" The three mermaids said in unison.

"The stars are shining  
my hidden wishes  
The more of you are there,  
easier for them to hear of me"

While the mermaids were singing, they were not aware that the song did not even faze them as they watched in amusement at their failed attempt.

"When the storm is brewing for hours  
When rain is not ceasing for many days  
Hold my hand and then a miracle will happen."

"Come and see what i am capable of  
Light and the darkness hide words with skill  
All the love im giving now to you  
Gives me the will to be ready for a new day."

After they have finished their singing and were about to declare their finishing move, they found that the two sisters were… bored. SheShe almost fell asleep, while Mimi was checking her fingernails, which surprised and shocked the three mermaids immensely.

"What is going on? Our singing has no effect on them at all." Lucia said.

"What are they?" Rina frowned. SheShe and Mimi laughed at their shocked faces, their expressions were priceless.

"Girls, for some reason your voices are not even fazing them. You have to get out of there while you still can!" Karen exclaimed. She was right, they stood no chance against these two, whoever they are, but Rina will not back down like she did with Noel.

"I am not going anywhere! I promised myself that day that I will never run away again!" Rina exclaimed.

"You have to, you are simply no match for them!" Karen exclaimed, but to no avail. They did not look like they are going to retreat anytime soon, so the two sisters use this opportunity to finish them.

"So, are you done with your live performance?" SheShe said in mocking tone.

"If so, then it's our turn." Mimi said, grabbing their microphones attached to their spine like a tail and formed a red, glowing orb around them in almost exact same fashion like the mermaid princesses when they sing. This shocked Lucia, Hanon and Rina even more.

"What?! They can do it too?!" Hanon exclaimed.

"Impossible." Lucia said.

"Showtime!" The evil sisters exclaimed as they started a singing performance of their own in all its glory.

"Now it's too late, for everything.

For everything, save for trouble"

"Rule is the same for everything else,  
None of us is victorious.  
In darkness you are all lost.  
Those who fight us are submitting right now."

The singing of these two malicious sisters causes similar pain to the mermaids like they did against the Dark Lovers. The mermaids screamed in immense pain, trying to resist it. Instead of relying on the power of friendship and love like the mermaids, the power of the Black Beauty Sisters is fueled by their malice and mischief, one of many negative attributes that powers their singing.

"All weary souls are swayed to our side,  
when our will is shattered by evil misdeeds.  
now it's all fun  
but time will come  
when there is no hope for you."

"We are the masters of sorrow and grief,  
You will find no harmony in our lead.  
When fear grips you,  
know that your fear is well justified."

"Rule is the same for everything else,  
None of us is victorious.  
In darkness you are all lost.  
no one dares to fight the sisters."

"Now it's too late, for everything.

Get ready for the incoming pain."

The pain of their sinister song was too much as the mermaids collapsed to near unconsciousness the longer they hear it. The sisters laughed as their plan was coming to fruition.

"The friendship of the mermaids affects us as much as the pallet of the seaweed." SheShe mocked

"And now let's bring out collection back to Master Gaito." Mimi said happily.

The situation looked grim. This time, not even Karen is of a match against those two, especially when she found herself trapped with no way of helping the mermaids. But, with no other options left, she removed the necklace from her neck and clenched it tightly.

" _I was hoping that I would use this power to help Noel escape."_ Karen thought. Then she frowned as she extended her clenched hand forward, using the power of the pearl to illuminate her surroundings with blinding purple light, paralyzing the evil sisters temporarily.

"What is this light?" SheShe said in surprise, shielding her eyes from the light.

"I can't even move!" Mimi exclaimed, covering her eyes as well. With her chance presenting itself, she guided the pearl to Rina, so that its power would not fall into the sister's hands.

"What the…" Rina said as she opened her eyes and found a purple pearl in her hands, still glowing brightly.

"Run girls, while that pearl glows, those two will remain paralyzed! Go, it's your only chance!" Karen exclaimed before she fell unconscious, having used all of her effort to channel the power within the pearl to give Lucia and her friends a chance to escape.

But Rina decided to help her nonetheless. Still, knowing that they received more than they bargained for, Lucia and Hanon grabbed Rina by her arms and used this opportunity to retreat to the surface.

"Lucia, Hanon, let me go! I must save Karen!" Rina exclaimed, trying to squirm from their grip.

"Don't be stupid Rina, we have to escape while that pearl glows!" Hanon exclaimed.

"If we get captured as well, then who is going to save Karen and Noel? We can't allow the power of that pearl to fall into the wrong hands, at any cost!" Lucia shouted, frowning in anger at retreating in crucial moment, but it had to be done.

"Kareeen!" Rina called out as they made more distance between them, but it was already too late to head back.

* * *

The three mermaids have arrived to the beach with all haste, panting heavily as they had to run as fast as they could. They fell on their knees, breathing hard as they tried to catch their breath. But at the same time, Rina gritted her teeth and clenched her fists in anger and desperation.

"No, I escaped again, right when the opportunity was there! Why?!" Rina's voice trembled as she clenched the purple pearl in her hand. Lucia and Hanon understood her pain as they looked down on the sand. They wanted to help Karen as well, but they stood no chance against the might of those evil sisters, even combined. Rina looked at the still glowing pearl, but the light was slowly fading from it until it was completely gone.

Rina felt so helpless at that moment. She failed Noel, she allowed her to be captured by Gaito and his minions. And now the same fate befell Karen as well. She growled angrily as her rage was boiling within her.

"No, I won't allow it! I must save her right now!" Rina said as she turned towards the sea to rescue Karen, but was stopped by Hanon.

"Are you insane?! If you go now, then you will be captured as well!" Hanon exclaimed, frowning at her.

"I don't care, I'm going to rescue her or die trying!" Rina frowned.

"Use your head! You can't fight them alone, and if they capture you, then Karen's sacrifice will be for nothing." Hanon said. Rina merely hissed in frustration as she turned to the right, folding her arms.

"Darn it, there has to be way to defeat them, we must save Karen before she is taken to Gaito's castle." She said, turning towards Hanon.

"But how? The Black Beauty Sisters have proved that they are more powerful than the water demons we fought, there is no way we can beat them." Hanon frowned as she looked towards the sea. But Rina merely smiled slightly as she stood next to Hanon.

"Well, we know of one person who can defeat them easily." Rina said. Hanon immediately guessed as she shook her head in decline.

"No, we can't have Goku involved in this and you know that." Hanon said to Rina.

While Hanon and Rina were discussing on how to save Karen, Lucia stood behind them and listened. But at the very mention of Goku's name, she turned around in the opposite direction. Even she knew that Goku would no doubt be able to defeat the sisters, but he can't.

"Why not? He fought those four water demons many times over, it won't be any different if he helps us beat those two." Rina said, turning towards Hanon. The blue-haired mermaid turned towards Rina.

"You are clearly forgetting that he doesn't remember us as mermaids, he knows us only as friends from school and we have Aqua Regina to thank for that." Hanon frowned. She still respected and revered the goddess, but even she was a little livid about what she had done to Goku, considering the current circumstances.

"So what if his memories were wiped?! It didn't make him weaker than Gaito and those two are certainly not stronger than him!" Rina exclaimed, starting an argument.

"Look, I didn't want that to happen either, but it did! I wish that Goku fought by our side, but Aqua Regina wiped his memories for a reason!" Hanon exclaimed. Though deep down, she too wanted Goku to help them beat those sisters and save Karen.

" _She_ is the reason this whole mess started in the first place! If she didn't do what she did, Goku would defeat Gaito and his misfit minions long time ago!" Rina exclaimed.

But Lucia was slowly trembling in anger and sorrow as she bit her lower lip in frustration.

"That's enough!" Lucia screamed suddenly, startling Hanon and Rina a bit and turned towards Lucia, with pink mermaid not even bothering to turn towards them. But Lucia's anger was slowly turning to sorrow as she had a lump in her throat, making it more and more difficult to speak with each passing moment.

"What is done is done. Now let's go back to the hotel and rest for tomorrow, so we can gather our strength to sing when we face them again. Let's go." Lucia said, her voice slowly trailing off as she walked back home. She just barely restrained herself from crying, but she couldn't stop a single tear drop from flowing past her cheek.

Hanon and Rina looked at each other sadly before they glanced back at Lucia, following her afterwards. The two mermaids now felt really bad that they had to bring up that immensely painful moment in front of Lucia. She barely managed to forget about it and move on, but unintentionally and in a fit of anger and desperation, they only reminded her of that day when Aqua Regina had to wipe Goku's memories to spare him and humanity of Gaito's wrath, knowing how dangerous he can be, even if he doesn't have Goku's strength. Even so, despite the goddess' noble intentions, it only brought pain to Lucia and crushed her hopes of being with Goku on that day. Hanon and Rina just let it slip out of their mouths and they cursed themselves for it, they never meant to break Lucia's gentle heart. But with everything that happened in last hour, they all went back to the hotel to get some rest. It was too late for any apologies, at least at the moment. They realized after they all get some peaceful slumber, they will apologize to her.

* * *

At the same time, Goku visited Bulma in West City. Since Bulma was not doing any experiments and Goku pretty much took a break from the intense training regimen for the day, they decided to meet up and hang out to make up for almost three years they have been apart. They talked about their adventures, joking and laughing at the expense of certain people like Oolong and Master Roshi.

"Man, that really was a stupid wish!" Goku laughed childishly out loud.

"Yeah, that pig if more of a pervert then Master Roshi for wishing something like that from the Eternal Dragon. And let's not even talk about the old perv himself." Bulma frowned slightly, folding her arms. Goku merely laughed again as he rubbed the back of his head. Goku always found Roshi's antics really funny, but it was the opposite for Bulma, since she too was a victim of his not so subtle shenanigans with her, ending up with her smacking him with either a fist or a hammer in comedic fashion. Still, she smiled at how Goku may have grown up physically, but from the inside he never changed. For some reason she preferred that way, as that was the Goku that she grew to know.

"Yup, he is still as silly as ever. He wasn't any different when I met him a while ago." Goku smiled. Bulma was surprised to hear that.

"A while ago? What do you mean?" Bulma asked curiously.

"Well, he told me that he left his home for a while and came to visit South City for some reason. I met him when I came to watch Lucia and her friends in some kind of talent contest and we talked about stuff for the whole day before he went back home." Goku explained.

"Wow, I didn't know. Did he tell you for what reason he came to South City in the first place? He certainly didn't know that you were there." Bulma asked with a hint of suspicion in her voice. Goku merely looked up in thought, folding his arms and legs. Roshi never actually told him the real reason he came to South City.

 _But while Goku was pondering on that subject, at the day when Roshi came back home in Kame House, she greeted Launch as she cooked the meal in the kichen._

" _Hey Launch." Roshi smiled._

" _Oh hi Master Roshi, welcome back." Launch said as she was blissfully cooking a stew for both of them, currently in her cheerful and naïve persona._

" _Thank you, but listen, I bought something in South City for you." Master Roshi said, eagerly wanting to show the present he bought for her._

" _Oh how wonderful. What is it?" Launch said blissfully._

" _See for yourself." He gave her the present before he went to the fridge to get a cold drink. Launch pulled out a purple garment from the box, revealing to be a see-through night gown._

" _Oh my…" Launch said, with nothing else to say to this._

" _So, do you like it?" Roshi smiled in perverted way, drooling as he imagined her wearing that night gown in all its glory._

" _Well, I don't know what…" She then started to inhale slightly, catching cold from wide open fridge next to her as Roshi was lost in his daydreaming. She continued to inhale, preparing to sneeze, which was something that Roshi was dreadfully afraid of. But it was too late to stop her as…_

 _*ACHOOO!*_

 _Launch's hair now turned blonde, along with her personality into that of a dangerous vixen with an itching trigger-finger that Roshi feared the most, probably more than Bulma._

" _What is this? You want to dress me like a doll in THIS?!" Launch exclaimed, pulling out a machine gun and aiming it at Roshi. "Then I have a gift for you! Have some!" She said as she fired the machine gun at Roshi, where bullet fires can be heard outside of Kame House, with Roshi running for his life._

In the present, Goku was still pondering on what she said, but he shrugged it off in the end.

"Beats me." Goku said. Then he smiled. "But hey, have you seen Yamcha yet? I thought he was going to train here in West City." He asked curiously. Bulma shook her head.

"No, he went to train with Krillin, Tien and Chiaotzu around the world so they could be prepared for the martial arts tournament." Bulma smiled. She would usually be upset about Yamcha not calling her, but knowing that he was training hard with his friends and the fact that he will no doubt show up at the tournament, she waited for him to come.

"Boy, I can't wait to see how strong they will all become when that day comes, I'm so excited!" Goku said cheerfully, pumping his fists in anticipation. Bulma giggled at his excitement. He always loved a good challenge and she was sure that those four fighters will deliver a good fight without a doubt.

"I'm sure you are." She smiled before she leaned in closer. "But what I want to know is what you think about that girl Lucia you hang around with." She said slyly.

"Huh?" Goku looked at her in confusion.

"Come on Goku, you seem to be hanging together quite often, I want to know what you think about her." Bulma asked curiously, teasing him a bit. Goku was scratching his chin as he tried to come up with proper words to describe Lucia.

"Gosh, I don't know. She is a very sweet and kind person and an amazing cook. She is always so cheerful and we always have a blast every time we go and do stuff, like when we went to the Spring Festival that one time. She is always glad to come and see me train almost every day and…" He said cheerfully before he stopped mid-sentence when he heard Bulma giggling for unknown reason.

"It sounds to me Goku that you actually like this girl." Bulma teased. Goku flushed a fade red at Bulma's yet another teasing of Lucia.

"We are just friends Bulma, I never said I liked her!" Goku whined childishly. Bulma laughed slightly as she knew better. Reading Goku's expressions was so easy, like a book.

"Goku, we know each other for a long time, it's not embarrassing at all if you like someone." Bulma smiled. In truth, she had never known Goku to be so embarrassed about practically any girl as long as she knew him, it was quite a pleasant surprise that he actually found a girl who affected him so much that he is actually denying his fondness towards her.

"Sorry." Goku laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's alright." She smiled before she glanced to the balcony. "Well, it's getting late. Time for me to go to bed, otherwise ill regret it in the morning." Bulma said, standing up from the sofa. Goku also stood up.

"Yeah, I'm going back home then. It was great to see you again Bulma." Goku smiled, going towards the balcony.

"Me too, you are free to come by anytime, but make sure you train hard so you can give us quite a show at the tournament." Bulma supported him. Goku merely grinned confidently as he nodded.

"Sure" He said before he turned towards the sky. "NIMBUS!" He shouted. In moment's notice, Goku's faithful cloud descended from the night sky. He was glad that Korin's new nimbus also beckons at night, since his old nimbus could only be summoned during the day. He hopped on it as soon as it landed in front of him.

"See ya Bulma!" Goku waved goodbye, ascending to the sky at fast speed.

"Bye Goku!" Bulma waved back. She stood at the balcony for a few moments before Goku disappeared from sight, entering back inside soon after.

She knew Goku longer than anyone and for the first time in his life he found a girl that emotionally affected him. She smiled at how that big lug had finally found someone he actually cares about from the heart. All she could do for both of them is to wish them luck and hope that those two will get together sooner rather than later.

As for Goku, despite of the events that transpired in Lucia's kingdom in North Pacific, his affection towards Lucia remained, but now it's split between her human form and mermaid form, the same dilemma that yet again fell upon him after his battle against Gaito. Even so, he doesn't realize that he is slowly beginning to retain memories of that day, one piece at the time, having occasional flashbacks of the Dark Lovers trying to capture him in a swirling vortex, then facing an unknown gray-haired man and a final flashback being that of the mermaid that he met a few times. It was strange how they looked very much alike, having feeling that there is a strong connection between the two. But only time will tell when will he fully retain all of his memories of that fearsome first encounter with the king of Panthalassa.

* * *

The next day, deep in the ocean floor, the Black Beauty Sisters proudly gazed on their prize, though a little disappointed at the same time.

"Master Gaito is eagerly waiting for our arrival, but we simply can't bring this mermaid princess with us without her pearl." SheShe said.

"You are right, sister SheShe. But worry not, I'm certain that the other mermaid princesses will show up with their pearls to rescue her poor, imprisoned friend." Mimi smirked. SheShe grabbed her by her chin in suggestive manner.

"You are right, sister Mimi." SheShe said.

"Ugh, disgusting." Karen gaged at the sight before she frowned. "If you really think that I rely on their help, you are sadly mistaken." She said defiantly. The sisters glanced towards her in amusement.

"My, are you defying us?" Mimi taunted.

"I can take you on all by myself!" Karen exclaimed, slamming her fists in anger on the bubble that sealed her inside.

"Oh really? You are pretty aggressive for a mermaid princess, but I grow tired of your babbling. Time to shut you up." SheShe said as she pointed her index finger, glowing with red energy as she placed it on the yellow bubble. The orb glowed with bright red as Karen began to lose strength quickly, falling down unconscious.

"Ahh, much better." SheShe sighed slightly in relief before she glanced at Mimi. "Now, it's time for us to go to the surface, we have other matters to attend to." She smirked.

"We do?" Mimi asked curiously.

"Indeed. Follow me." SheShe said. Mimi followed, also bringing imprisoned Karen with them, in case the other pesky mermaids try to rescue her while they are gone.

At the same time, Lucia, Hanon and Rina have went together to watch Goku train at Lucia's suggestion. Both Hanon and Rina had used the opportunity to apologize when they made some distance.

"Look Lucia, I'm really sorry for what we said last night. I know we only brought you pain when we said those things about Goku and Aqua Regina, please forgive us." Hanon frowned sadly.

"Yes, I'm sorry too. It just slipped out of our mouths, we never intended to hurt you." Rina looked down regretfully. But much to their surprise, Lucia merely smiled.

"It's alright, I'm not upset. Besides, I believe that Goku and I will be together again someday. I mean, he risked his life to save me from those water demons and Gaito himself. I can't think of a greater act of love then that." Lucia smiled blissfully. Hanon and Rina sighed in relief inwardly, glad that she looked positively on that subject this time.

"So, how are we going to find Karen?" Rina said.

"I don't know. If only she had her pearl, then we could use Hippo's pearl radar to find her quickly." Lucia frowned slightly, worried about Karen. But without any conventional means to find Karen, they could only hope that some faint hint will eventually appear, so that they may act quickly.

Meanwhile, the evil sisters have surfaced on the beach far away from the city. Little did they know that this is the same beach where Goku is training every day.

"Sister SheShe, why are we here? Shouldn't we wait for the mermaid princesses to come and capture them?" Mimi asked curiously.

"Have you forgotten? Before we left, Master Gaito have given us a very interesting mission that I would love to accomplish." SheShe smirked, having flashbacks of that moment.

" _Before you leave, there is another thing that I want both of you to do for me." Gaito frowned. The Black Beauty sisters turned towards Gaito._

" _What is it, Master Gaito?" Mimi asked curiously. He snapped his fingers as he conjured a coral pool from the floor._

" _There is a human in the surface world named Goku, he became quite a nuisance in my plans and I want you to take care of him as well." Gaito said, conjuring Goku's image on the coral pool for the sisters to remember._

" _I see. So you want us to capture this human?" SheShe smirked._

" _I want him dead." Gaito said grimly, slightly surprising the sisters. "I want the mermaid princesses alive, but you may deal with that human as you please. Just make sure he draws his final breath." He ordered._

" _It shall we done." SheShe bowed before the two sisters left._

"Oooh, this is going to be exciting! We haven't spilled human blood in long time, sister SheShe." Mimi said anxiously.

"Yes, killing this human will pave the way for Panthalassa to rise to glory once again." SheShe smirked. Karen regained consciousness after they surfaced on the beach and was horrified to say the least. Whoever this human is, he found himself in mortal danger. To make things worse, there is nothing she could do about it and pray that this human doesn't cross their paths.

At the same time, Goku was blissfully finishing his lunch, not wanting to train on empty stomach. Unlike the other fighters, Goku doesn't have any cramps at all even when he trains intensely with full stomach. In fact, it only increased his performance both in training and in fights. He soon gorged on last plate of food, burping in delight as he rubbed his stomach.

"Man, I'm stuffed." He said cheerfully before he got up, stretching his arms. "Well, better go and do some training while the sun is still up." He smiled as he went outside, not wasting time and eager to push is limits yet again.

After several minutes, he was drawing near his beach where he trains.

"Man, this is great! Nothing better than training on full stomach!" He said cheerfully as he continued to walk further to the beach, before he looked up in thought. "But what shall I do today? Can't do the same thing every day, I need to…"

Before he could finish that sentence, suddenly, he sensed two sinister energy signals, frowning as he was on guard.

" _What Is that? I sense two strong powers at the beach. Evil powers."_ Goku thought as he slowly approached the open area, hiding behind a tree to survey the situation.

" _I also sense a third power level. Strange, this energy is not as malicious as the other two."_ He thought curiously. He noticed a glowing, yellow bubble that was levitating near two persons who appear to be women with fish ears and… microphones as tails? That's something he never saw. But upon focusing his gaze on the bubble, to his slight surprise, he noticed a purple mermaid imprisoned within.

" _A mermaid? What could they possibly want with her? And why would they bring her all the way out here?"_ He frowned in thought. _"Well, I guess I'll soon find out."_

Then he was slowly walking towards his new enemies. Judging by their dark energy, they have the same signal like the Dark Lovers he fought. And not only that, those two seem to be a lot stronger than the other four he fought. Even though they are not strong enough, they might be hiding a technique that could potentially destroy him, so he was on his guard from the start.

The two sisters then glanced towards the man in orange and black as he was drawing near.

"Ahh, there he is." SheShe smirked.

"He sure took his sweet time." Mimi grinned. But while Goku was slowly getting closer, not changing his stern expression and locking his gaze on two sisters, Karen gasped slightly.

" _He was the one they were after? They plan to kill him?"_ Karen thought worryingly. She may don't know him at all, but saving her life that one time made her slightly worried about him that he would actually be killed by these two evil water demons. But Goku remains as fearless as ever as he clenched his fists and stopped not too far away from the two evil sisters.

At the same time, Lucia, Hanon and Rina have also arrived near the beach. As they were talking and teasing Lucia about Goku, the noticed the young warrior himself standing in opposite direction, his back turned towards them.

"There he is!" Lucia said cheerfully.

"Yeah, but what is he doing just standing there?" Hanon asked curiously. Upon closer observation, Rina gasped slightly as she noticed none other than the Black Beauty Sisters.

"Quickly, hide!" Rina urged immediately, hiding behind bushes. Lucia and Hanon reluctantly did the same, not knowing what the deal was.

"What is it, Rina?" Hanon asked curiously.

"Look, its them. The Black Beauty Sisters." Rina said grimly.

"Oh no, Goku is in trouble." Lucia said worryingly.

"We have to go and help him." Hanon frowned. Rina shook her head in decline.

"We can't, they are too strong for us to handle, even combined. Let's just hope Goku has enough strength to beat those two." Rina frowned. She hated to admit it, but none of them stand a chance against them except Goku.

"Sure he can, he has beaten Gaito back in North Pacific, surely he can handle them, right?" Hanon smiled, having full confidence in his abilities.

"Let's hope so. Gaito may be stronger than them, but we have yet to see of what are those two truly capable of." Rina said. Lucia merely looked at Goku worryingly, praying that he will be alright. She knew that he has more than enough strength to beat those two, since he did beat the king of Panthalassa himself, but she couldn't help but feel worried for that big goof.

At the same time, Goku was ready to fight these two unknown opponents, but not before getting some answers.

"Who are you two?" Goku asked sternly. The sisters merely chuckled maliciously by this fresh defiance from a human no less.

"We are the Black Beauty Sisters. My name is SheShe." She said.

"And I am Mimi, SheShe's younger sister. And how do we call you, human?" Mimi said in mocking manner.

"My name is Goku. And I doubt you came here for a small talk. You work with those Dark Lovers, right?" Goku said sternly. Karen was shocked that he knows about the enemies of the mermaid princesses. Does that mean that those three girls actually discovered their secret to him? No, not even they are so reckless.

The sisters looked at each other before they laughed hysterically. Goku frowned further by their further mocking.

"What's so funny?" Goku said angrily.

"You fool, do you really think that we are aligned with those pathetic weaklings? They couldn't even defeat a lousy human like you." Mimi taunted.

"We serve a far greater master who is more powerful than even us. I don't know how you managed to beat them, but I say you merely got lucky." SheShe said.

"Huh, heard that one before." Goku said angrily with a mix of irony. Many of his opponents shrugged his strength and skill in the past as mere luck and that was the downfall to all of them. Seems that those two are no different.

SheShe and Mimi's smirk turned into a stern frown as they had enough of his insolence.

"Alright, I think we humored you long enough. Prepare to die." SheShe grinned evilly, along with Mimi. Goku bent his knees slightly and clenched his fists in front of him.

"Come on, I'm ready!" Goku said confidently, ready to fight. These two may not be the Dark Lovers he wanted to beat so badly for what they have done to Lucia and her friends, but he will cut lose all the same.

The Black Beauty Sisters chuckled maliciously as they decided not to go for the kill right off the bat. Instead, they are going to make him suffer immensely and they will do it in style. Goku raised his eyebrow in confusion as those two are doing something else entirely instead of attacking him. They grabbed their microphones and a red orb formed around them, with the sister's evil song starting to play. This scene was awfully familiar to Goku as he had seen this kind of technique before, but he just can't place it. Then he remembered about his mermaid who did the same thing when he gave her pearl back to fight that Dark Lover Izure. Seems that they have this ability as well, but it would seem they don't need the pearl to sing.

The three mermaids' eyes widened at they realized that they are doing the same thing they did to them.

"Showtime!" The evil sisters exclaimed as they started their singing performance once again.

"Now it's too late, for everything.

For everything, save for trouble"

Goku suddenly felt an immense pain in his head and his body was paralyzed in agony. He gritted his teeth as he grabbed his head, trying to endure the pain inflicted.

"Rule is the same for everything else,  
None of us is victorious.  
In darkness you are all lost.  
Those who fight us are submitting right now."

" _W-what kind of technique is this? It feels like my head is gonna explode!"_ He thought in pain. He was still on his feet, but he was growling in pain, bowing down slightly.

"All weary souls are swayed to our side,  
when our will is shattered by evil misdeeds.  
now it's all fun  
but time will come  
when there is no hope for you."

"We are the masters of sorrow and grief,  
You will find no harmony in our lead.  
When fear grips you,  
know that your fear is well justified."

"Rule is the same for everything else,  
None of us is victorious.  
In darkness you are all lost.  
no one dares to fight the sisters."

"Now it's too late, for everything.

Get ready for the incoming pain."

Goku bent his right knee in pain, still trying to resist the pain and go on the offensive, but it was impossible at the moment. The sisters smirked at this seemingly easy victory.

"Well, I guess it's now time to put the lights out for this human, weak as he is." SheShe said.

"Well said, sister SheShe." Mimi smirked.

The two sisters moved to his left side and they both extended their arms, conjured an orb of red energy in their hands, fusing together and expanding in size as it was getting near Goku.

"What?!" Goku's eyes widen in surprise as the energy attack was getting closer. Before he could react, the attack made contact with him, exploding with a powerful force that sent Goku flying back and onto a rock formation, breaking the rocks and causing a collapse, burying him inside.

"Goku!" Lucia exclaimed her eyes wide in shock. Hanon and Rina were also equally shocked that Goku received such a brutal punishment, but they would not give up hope yet. Goku has been in tighter spots then this during his fight with Gaito.

"Oh no." Karen said in low and shocked voice, bowing her head down. "He didn't deserve such a cruel death."

The sisters looked on the rock formation in amusement as they were drawing near. A few moments passed and not a single sign that he was alive, confirming their kill.

"Well, that was rather anticlimactic, don't you agree, sister Mimi?" SheShe smirked.

"Indeed, sister SheShe, if this was his best, then those four nitwits don't deserve to even polish Gaito's boots, let alone fight the mermaid princesses and this human." Mimi said.

"Either way, Goku is no more and our business is done here. Let's go back in the sea and greet the other mermaid princesses." SheShe smirked.

"Right behind you." Mimi grinned. The sisters turned around and were on their way back to the sea.

The three mermaids however, were starting to be greatly worried about Goku.

"What is going on? Why isn't he coming out?" Lucia said with a sad frown.

"There is no way that they are that powerful, they couldn't be." Rina frowned angrily. It's absurd that Goku was able to hold his own against Gaito and be so easily defeated by his henchmen.

Lucia was starting to get desperate as tears started to form in her eyes. But she blinked them away as she heard pebbles suddenly starting to fall down, immediately averting their gaze to where Goku is.

The sisters' eyes went wide in surprise as they turned around.

"What was that?" SheShe asked. A few moments passed, but this time the evil sisters did not remove their sight from the rock formation. But then, shock quickly came as they found the rocks moving down. The mermaids were also surprised by this turn of events.

Then suddenly, the rocks were shattered as Goku jumped high in the air, spinning forward and landing on his feet, completely unharmed.

"Hi." Goku said casually with a typical smile on his face. The sisters gasped in immense shock, their eyes wide in surprise.

"How… how was he able to survive that?!" Mimi exclaimed in shock.

"Impossible! Not even a scratch!" SheShe exclaimed. Goku found their shocked expressions funny as he merely gave them a wide toothy grin, snickering childishly.

The four mermaids sighed in relief that Goku was alright.

"That Goku, he made us worried for nothing." Lucia frowned angrily before she smiled, relieved that Goku was alright after all.

"Wow, he is not even fazed. But he should really just get back in the fight immediately instead of worrying us like that." Hanon frowned.

Goku cracked his neck left and right as a warm up after that attack.

"Man, that was a great technique, my head feels kinda numb." Goku rubbed his head and slapped his face with both hands slightly. Then he clenched his fists in front of him.

"Alright then, it's my turn now." Goku smirked. The sisters growled angrily as he shrugged their attack like it was nothing.

"Don't think it's over yet, human. We have yet to show you our full might." SheShe frowned angrily.

"You are about to regret coming out from that rubble." Mimi said. Then the two sisters grabbed their microphones to sing again. This time however, Goku frowned as he disappeared from sight. The sisters looked left and right to find him, but he was nowhere to be found. But before they knew it, Goku elbowed them both simultaneously on their backs, making them lose balance and fall down, sliding a few yards away.

" _Wow, he is so fast, I have never seen a human move like that."_ Karen thought in shock.

Goku gave the two sisters a battle-ready smirk as he stood upright. As for SheShe and Mimi, they stood up in pain slowly, rubbing their backs for pain to subside.

"How did he do that?" Mimi said angrily. Goku frowned at them sternly.

"Don't think that you can use the same technique on me twice. Now that I know what it does, I won't give you a chance to sing again." Goku said. The sisters stood upright and faced Goku.

"If that was your best attack, then I'll give you one chance to free the mermaid and get out of here." Goku warned. The sisters got really angry as veins started to form in their foreheads.

"Well see about that!" SheShe said angrily. The two sisters lunged at him simultaneously at full speed, ready to deliver fearsome punches and kicks on this human. But Goku blocked SheShe's punch and Mimi's kick without a problem. But the sisters did not stop there as they continued to attack Goku, sending a flurry of punches and kicks at fast speed, which Goku blocked each and every one of them effortlessly. They continued their assault for a while before the sisters spinned backwards and immediately darted close to each other, extending their hands forward.

"Pressure Attack!" The sisters exclaimed, firing a transparent ball of force energy at Goku. He cupped his hands and slammed the attack, sending it back towards the sisters.

The two water demons then evaded their attack, which continued until it exploded at the nearby waters. The sisters quickly came behind Goku while he was distracted, about to attack him from behind, but Goku rolled back and attempted to kick them both, but they dodged and continued with their relentless assault, attacking him from the sides. Goku continued to block their attacks, until he caught their fists, both of them trying to overpower him. The sisters struggled for a while, with Goku not even trying to force them back, until they used their tail-like microphones as a conduit for the electric attack. They both electrocuted Goku, his grip on them starting to fail, but he gritted his teeth as he merely pulled their fists in opposite direction, making them slam their faces onto each other. Then after their attack stopped, he simultaneously punched SheShe in the face and elbowed Mimi with his right hand, making them fall down. The he back flipped a few yards to gain some distance from the two and assume his fighting position again.

The Black Beauty Sisters were left baffled and shocked at how he managed to hold his own against them so easily.

"What is he? He is no ordinary human, that's for sure." SheShe growled angrily and in pain.

"Maybe we underestimated his strength, we need to finish him fast." Mimi growled as well. Goku merely waited for their next move with his fearless expression.

" _Amazing! Goku is far more powerful than I thought. He might actually win against those two."_ Karen smiled at the thought, but was still in shock and surprise by his level of strength and skill.

Lucia, Hanon and Rina cheered Goku on.

"Alright Goku, he is winning!" Lucia cheered happily.

"Yeah, he is going to beat them!" Hanon cheered as well. Even Rina was happy that Goku will beat those water demons.

The evil sisters stood upright, but wincing in pain as they tried to get back into the fight, rubbing their faces for pain to subside.

"You're a lot stronger than the Dark Lovers, that's for sure, but it's not enough to beat me. Free the mermaid and go back wherever you came from, there is no need to continue this fight." Goku said sternly.

"Why you insolent…" Mimi growled in fury.

"You are going down, human!" SheShe yelled, with two sisters immediately going to his sides and ready to attack.

The two sisters extended their hands forward, forming a red energy attack and firing it at Goku with everything they had. The attacks exploded on contact, creating a large smoke on where he stood. They waited for smoke to clear, but they found that Goku was not there, much to their shock.

"Darn it, where is he?!" SheShe exclaimed in shock.

"Over here!" Goku exclaimed. SheShe turned around to find Goku attacking with a flying kick. He yelled as he kicked SheShe in the stomach and sent her flying, with Mimi also caught in the attack, sending the sisters flying for a good distance before they plummeted on the sand. Goku landed on his feet after the attack, standing upright. The two sisters barely got up after that attack, but Goku's assault was not over as he decided to show them his own special technique that he learned from Master Roshi himself.

He cupped his hands in front of him and moved them to his right side.

"Kaaaa… Meeee…." Goku chanted.

"Great, what is he up to now?" SheShe said, rubbing her stomach in pain. It felt like she was hit by a train. The four mermaids looked silently in woe as Goku is about to unleash his most destructive energy attack.

"Haaaa…. Meeee…." Goku's hands started to glow with bluish white glow, preparing his ultimate technique. The water demons' eyes went wide in shock as it looked like something dangerous.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" Goku fired the attack at the evil sisters. With little time to react, they used their remaining energy to conjure a red shield around them to repel the attack. The Kamehameha Wave made contact with the shield and already the sisters had to struggle to maintain the shield, so the energy attack would not obliterate them.

Lucia, Hanon and Rina looked in awe at Goku's attack. No matter how many times he used it, it's still the most spectacular and dangerous technique that Goku has in his arsenal. Karen, on the other hand, also watched in awe and surprise as she had never seen such a destructive attack unleashed by a human in her entire life. It was truly outstanding how powerful Goku is.

The sisters gritted their teeth as they struggled with all their might to deflect the attack, but Goku continued to press on with the wave. They were starting to be pushed back by the sheer force of the energy attack. But after several seconds, the energy wave exploded with a powerful force, sending strong winds and debris in all directions and destroying the protective shield surrounding them, knocking them back and injuring them further.

Fortunately for Karen, the yellow prison orb has also disappeared, clumsily falling down on her chest.

"Thank goodness, I am free." Karen smiled brightly. Then she looked towards Goku and a giant smoke that formed when the Kamehameha Wave exploded. Goku did not avert his gaze as he sensed the energy of the two water demons. They were still alive, but they were greatly wounded after that attack. After the smoke cleared, the sisters had cuts and bruises on their entire body.

Goku approached them and gazed sternly at them without even saying a word. The sisters glared daggers at their formidable opponent and they guessed his intentions. He is giving them a chance to leave, but if they don't, then he will probably finish them off. As difficult as it was, the sisters had no choice as they teleported back to Gaito's castle, for the first time facing defeat at human hands.

Goku sighed slightly, relaxing his muscles as their energy signature was gone, meaning that they actually left. He could have finished them off on the spot, but he later realized that if he did, then he would be no better than the other villains he fought in the past. Plus there was no need, because Lucia, Hanon and Rina are still alive and kicking.

He smiled and turned towards the purple mermaid, but to his surprise, she was gone.

"What? Where did she go?" Goku asked himself, rubbing his head in confusion. He could have sworn that the mermaid was there a minute ago, but it seems like she vanished for some reason.

* * *

In the water, Karen departed without thanking Goku for what he had done for her. Lucia, Hanon and Rina have noticed her departing and followed her. Deep down, she was immensely thankful to him for rescuing her, but she simply can't communicate with the humans, at least not in her mermaid form.

"Is that how you thank people who save your life?" A familiar voice said from Karen's left side. It was Hanon, who was with Lucia and Rina, folding her arms. "Goku just defeated those two water demons and all you do is run away without saying a word." Hanon frowned.

"Don't be absurd, humans can't know that we exist. Now that he knows, he will probably tell everyone about our existence, if he didn't already when you three revealed yourselves to him." Karen frowned. Lucia shook her head in decline.

"No, you got it all wrong. We didn't tell Goku anything, he doesn't know that we are the mermaids." Lucia smiled, though Karen was still unconvinced.

"Then how is it that he knows about the Dark Lovers and those other two water demons? It can't be a coincidence that Gaito hunts him as well as us." Karen frowned.

"It's kind of a long story, but to make it short, the Dark Lovers found him first and he fought back to protect the people they were after. Now they are hunting him because they are not so forgiving in defeat." Rina summarized. Karen calmed down a bit, bowing her head down.

"I understand." Karen said, the only thing she could say. She was rather touched that a human like Goku would stand up against those water demons without fear for his life. She was even impressed at how Goku was worried about her safety when he fought the evil sisters.

The three mermaids smiled as Lucia went closer to Karen to return the purple pearl to its rightful owner.

"Here. I believe this belongs to you." Lucia smiled, gesturing Karen to pick her pearl up, which she did without a second thought.

"Thanks. I'll take it, if you don't mind." Karen said annoyingly, returning to her old self.

"Karen, I just want to thank you for saving us back there when the Black Beauty Sisters got you." Rina smiled. Karen looked at her pearl for a second before she placed it on her seashell pendant.

"Well, I have no idea why I did it. But…" She looked down and frowned sadly a bit. "It's probably that my sister would have done the same if she was in my place." She said, lamenting that period when she was captured. All this time, she thought firmly that Rina deliberately abandoned her sister, but when she pondered on it further, her mind clear of anger and judgment, she couldn't blame her. Gaito was simply too powerful an opponent to be beaten by a single mermaid princess. She now understood that she had no choice.

Then turned towards the green-haired mermaid. "Rina, to be honest, maybe I was wrong when I thought you abandoned my sister on purpose. I realize that now." Karen said. Rina was immensely relieved that Karen is no longer despising her, glad that things were sorted out. This made even Lucia happy.

"Does that mean that you will hang out with us now, Karen?!" Lucia asked cheerfully, anxious to make friends with another mermaid princess. But Karen merely ignored that request as she hovered above them.

"I am grateful for your help, but now I must search for my sister. And…" Karen then smiled. "Give Goku my regards and my gratitude." She said before she turned around and swimmed towards the unknown in search for Noel. If Hanon didn't know better, she would have thought that Karen has taken a liking to Goku. But that would be impossible, since she just ran away from him without a word. Though fortunately, Lucia was too dense to notice.

"Well, there she goes." Lucia said.

"Man, she is so ungrateful." Hanon frowned.

"I am glad that things are now settled between you two, aren't you Rina?" Lucia said cheerfully.

"Yes, I am." Rina smiled, looking towards the unknown where Karen departed. She was immensely relieved that Karen understood after all. She now understood that she was merely heartbroken when Noel was captured, but was also glad that she was reasonable, despite her being seemingly cold from the outside. With nothing left to do, Hanon and Rina went back to the hotel, while Lucia decided to meet up with Goku from where they usually come to the beach.

* * *

After an exciting fight with the two water demons, Goku was looking towards the horizon, sitting on the beach for the rest of the afternoon as it never gets old for him to gaze upon the setting sun.

"Goku." A timid, but familiar voice said from his left side. He smiled brightly as it was none other than Lucia.

"Hi Lucia, how are you?" Goku smiled brightly, always glad to see her.

"I'm fine, thanks. I just came to see you and to see what you were doing." Lucia smiled, sitting right next to him on the sand.

"Oh nothing. I finished today's training session and now I'm just enjoying the sunset." Goku smiled. Lucia leaned in closer and closer until she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Lucia said, completely at peace whenever she is alone with Goku, sharing this romantic moment. Goku was slightly surprised by her sudden motion, but his chest felt funny when she did that. He had that tingly feeling that he only gets when he is around Lucia and in all honestly, it felt really good.

"Yeah, it is." Goku smiled as he glanced back towards the sun.

He thought that it would probably be for the best if he left out the part where he fought the water demons not so long ago, thinking that it would only worry her. But little did he know that Lucia watched the entire fight and was immensely relieved that he was alright, meaning that she would have more chances to share moments like this with her goof ball. For now, she felt like nothing else mattered, it was only her and Goku.


	13. Chapter 13

~Hatred~

In the depths of the ocean within Gaito's throne room, the four Dark Lovers stood humbly before Gaito, bowing their heads down in shame. They failed their master time after time to capture the mermaid princesses and to eliminate Goku, the only obstacles in his plans. Gaito's tolerance and patience were getting increasingly thin the more they fail in their attempts to fulfill their mission. Now the four water demons stand and await their judgment from their master, hoping that it won't end in banishment into the darkness from where they were summoned.

"You have failed me. All of you have failed in your mission, know that I am terribly disappointed in all four of you." Gaito said in low and angry voice, tapping his chin impatiently while leaning his head sideways, sitting on his throne. But as he was about to make the final decision, the Black Beauty Sisters stepped in from behind the throne, giggling mockingly at the four failures in front of them.

"Look at them, what a pathetic rabble." SheShe mocked.

"Well said, sister SheShe." Mimi said. The four water demons did not take that remark kindly as they glared daggers at the two and gritted their teeth in anger. They knew they stood no chance against them, but standing and listening to their insults in front of Gaito is simply infuriating.

"It's so easy to capture the mermaid princesses and they are not even capable of doing that. In fact, you four should have been retired long ago." SheShe said as she stepped forward. Gaito was silently glancing from SheShe to Mimi. He huffed through his nose in annoyance. He should have done that to these two, since they too failed to defeat Goku and capture the mermaids. But then again, they were more powerful then these four and they may yet prove themselves.

"Don't you think that you are a little harsh, sister SheShe? They gave everything they had to succeed, but considering their pitiful possibilities, they couldn't imprison the mermaids." Mimi said mockingly, adding more insult to injury from which SheShe only found amusing.

"Indeed. I suppose they must work really hard if they want to grasp the basics of the superior powers that we possess. We are on a whole new level for them." SheShe smirked before she turned towards her sister. "So sister Mimi, what should we do with them?" She asked, grabbing her chin suggestively.

"Maybe we could give them another chance, sister SheShe, they may prove useful to us in the future, don't you agree?" Mimi grinned.

"You think so? Then so be it, as long as they don't stand in our way." SheShe mocked further, deliberately antagonizing the four water demons. She then turned towards the four. "How about some gratitude? We actually saved you four from ending up like a scrap in this endeavor." She said.

The four water demons can't stand this humiliation any longer, they would gladly lash out at those two, but considering their failures, they reluctantly obliged.

"Thank you very much." All four of them said simultaneously, hiding their anger slightly, but not enough to avoid their notice, which only brought them more amusement.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." SheShe taunted, tilting her left ear in a mocking manner.

"Speak up, please." Mimi taunted too. The four Dark Lovers were even angrier than before, just barely containing their rage and their desire to rip them to pieces.

"Thank you very much!" All four of them gritted their teeth at their reluctant answer. The sisters merely laughed, finding their angered expressions rather enjoyable to watch. Even if they were to attack them, they wouldn't stand a chance.

" _I can't stand this humiliation! Damn those two!"_ Maria thought in anger, shaking uncontrollably in rage.

As for Gaito, he merely hissed as he stood up from his throne and went into his private quarters, sitting on his sofa and folding his arms in thought. Those two had some nerve to talk about superiority when they too were just as easily defeated by Goku and were just as successful in capturing the mermaid princesses.

" _Curse that human! No matter who I send against him, he always manages to beat them all. But then again, I doubt that I can even consider him as such. I have never seen a human who possessed such a monstrous power within him."_ Gaito thought angrily, having flashback of the mirage of a Giant Ape that appeared behind Goku when he was fighting him.

"What's wrong Gaito? You seem upset." A shrouded woman in white dress appeared from the darkness of his quarters.

"Sara? Is that you?" Gaito asked the woman now known as Sara.

"Of course I am. But, are you afraid that your plans won't go as you predicted? Or is it that you are a little anxious about the appearance of your counterpart?" Sara asked. A few moments of silence followed soon afterwards, confirming the answer. "If so, then why don't you go to the surface world and stir things up in your favor?" She proposed.

"You want me to go alone?" Gaito asked.

"Indeed. All alone." Sara said. Gaito actually considered her proposition. With his servants having little to no progress in their mission, it was now finally time to do things right himself. He knew that he stood no chance against Goku in his current state. If he was to obtain the power residing in Kaito, his counterpart, then he would have more than enough strength to stand against that human and finally exact hot vengeance upon him and Aqua Regina.

Meanwhile, the four Dark Lovers have left the mobile castle, not wasting this chance given to them.

"Man, those two hags are really getting on my nerves!" Yuri said in anger, gritting her teeth.

"Hags? They are still young, you know." Izure said bluntly.

"Well, they are hags to me. And the same goes for you two." Yuri said in a jest to Izure and Eril, angering them both.

"Why, you little…" Izure growled in anger before being interrupted by Eril.

"Stop it, both of you! We can't do anything alone, so we have to stick together." Eril frowned. Izure and Yuri were a little surprised by her serious statement. Eril was usually the cheerful one among the four. It would seem that their constant failures and the Black Beauty Sisters being Gaito's second in command is really getting to her. Though they could not blame her, they despise those two witches all the same.

But as for Maria, she decided for a different approach to her plans.

" _Teaming up with these losers is seriously demoralizing. It's time to take matters into my own hands and redeem myself in Gaito's eyes."_ Maria thought. _"Wait, of course!"_ She thought as she had flashbacks of that orange-haired human with amazing power. " _That boy. If the circumstances flow to my advantage, I can use him to lure the mermaid princesses and bring him to master Gaito. Oh yes, the opportunity presented itself right in front of my eyes."_ She smirkedin thought. This time, she will carry out her plans without the help of the other three incompetent comrades she is forced to hang out with. This time, she _will_ succeed. But, there was one major flaw in her plan: Goku. She realized she is no match for him, so she has to lure the boy away from Goku, so she could capture him without anyone interfering, especially that spiky-haired freak.

* * *

At the same time at school, the classes were over and Lucia and Hanon were about to depart home.

"Hey Lucia, what do you say we go and grab some pancakes on the way home?" Hanon asked.

"Sure, that sounds great. Let's go." Lucia smiled brightly, about to depart until Kaito stopped her.

"Lucia, are you going already? Have you forgotten that we have school duties to attend to this week?" Kaito reminded her.

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that." Lucia looked at Kaito blankly before she turned towards Hanon. "I'm sorry, guess you will have to go without me." Lucia said. Hanon merely smiled.

"Fine with me, I'll eat your pancake as well." Hanon joked before she departed home.

"Ah man, pancake sounds like a really good idea." Lucia pouted in complaint before she glanced towards Goku, who was talking and laughing with Daichi and Kengo while they were walking outside. She really wished she was paired up with Goku, but hanging out with Kaito doesn't really sound like a bad idea, though there was something about him and Goku that she doesn't know yet.

Kaito followed her gaze and frowned at Goku. He was without a doubt jealous of him, considering that emotion was getting stronger by the day and the possibility of them being together slim as time passed. But he smiled as he now has the opportunity for them to be alone and he will make the most of it.

Later that day, after everyone left home, the storm clouds have slowly enveloped the blue sky and the rain was soon to start. Lucia and Kaito were sitting at the desk in the middle of the classroom, filling in class reports and extracurricular activities. Lucia helped him out to change some of the schedules and gym activities that had to be overlooked, along with other things written down. Kaito smiled as he had hope that something might actually happen between the two of them. Now it was as good a time as ever to make his move.

"Lucia, there was something I was meaning to ask you." Kaito said. Lucia looked at him with an innocent expression.

"What is it?" Lucia asked.

"Are you… uhh…" Kaito stopped mid-sentence. He couldn't just ask her if she and Goku were going out, even he knew they were. And he couldn't ask her if she liked him, it is obvious that she does. But he started his question, so he will have to rephrase it quickly without botching things up.

"Am I what?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Are you doing anything after we are done here?" Kaito asked, frowning slightly. Lucia looked up in thought, scratching her chin.

"Well, I might help my sister do some work at home and then I'll go watch Goku train. Why?" Lucia looked at him. That answer felt like a knife through his heart, though he did his best not to change his expression.

"Nothing, just curious." Kaito frowned slightly, looking at the note book. His confidence quickly plummeted to the ground, now starting to sulk inwardly, but he was too proud to show it from the outside.

"Okay." Lucia smiled before she stood up. "I'm gonna go and drink some water, I'll be right back." She said.

"Sure." Kaito nodded. Then Lucia left outside, leaving Kaito to sulk at his clumsiness. He was angry at himself for botching up the only opportunity he had to make a difference.

Lucia was walking though the hallways and went to buy a soda from the vending machine. Water sounded good, but a can of delicious strawberry juice sounded even better. She inserted the coin and clicked on the number where strawberry juice was placed. The machine then pushed the can and it fell down, allowing Lucia to reach for it.

"Ahh wonderful, I just love strawberry juice!" Lucia said cheerfully. The she heard a loud thumping noise coming from the corner of the corridor which appeared to be principal's office. She wondered what could cause such a racket. With curiosity in her mind, she went slowly towards the doors and leaned her ear on it to see what was going on. But several seconds later of eavesdropping, the doors opened suddenly, making her fall clumsily, flailing her hands fruitlessly and falling down on her stomach. She then noticed all too familiar boots in front of her before she slowly looked up at a boy with that familiar, goofy expression, which surprised her the most.

"Lucia?" A familiar person said.

"Goku? What are you doing in principal's office?" Lucia said as Goku smiled, closing the door behind him.

"Well, the principal asked me if I could help him move some heavy stuff in his office after classes, so I said why not." He smiled before he looked at her blankly. "But why are you still at school?" He asked.

"Kaito and i have some extracurricular activities to do this week, so that's why I'm here." Lucia smiled brightly. She was so glad to see Goku here of all places on this day.

"Oh okay." Goku smiled. Then Goku and Lucia heard a thundering noise outside, looking through the wide window blankly.

"Look, the rain is starting to fall." Lucia said, looking through the window blankly.

"Yeah, it looks like it." Goku said. Then a loud thunder struck down, scaring Lucia and burrowing her face on Goku's chest, much to his surprise.

"What's wrong Lucia, why are you so scared?" Goku asked innocently.

"I'm scared of thunder, Goku, it's truly terrifying." Lucia said in a slightly shaky voice, genuinely jumpscared. Then thunder struck again loudly, hugging Goku tightly and pressing her face further. Goku was taken aback a bit, but soon he snickered childishly with a toothy grin.

"Don't worry Lucia, it's just a little lightning. Nothing will happen to you, I promise." Goku smiled, placing his arms around her to make her feel better. Though looking back at the time during his training with Kami and Mr. Popo, the lightning was more than scary when he did the training of speed to dodge the lightning from the top of the mountain when he placed a strange crown on his head which seemingly attracted lightning.

As for Lucia, her heart was beating at a fast rate, but in a pleasant sense of that word. She couldn't have thought of a moment better than this one, Goku holding her in his arms, the two of them in soft, yet tight embrace, something that both of them mutually enjoyed at the moment. Even Goku felt completely at peace in those few moments of their embrace.

At the same time, Kaito recovered from his sulking and immediately went to find Lucia. This was his chance to make something happen between them and he'll be damned if he doesn't make the most of it. But, as he was drawing near, he saw something that he didn't actually found endearing. He found Lucia in Goku's embrace.

" _What? What is he doing here?"_ Kaito thought, frowning at him. His anger swelled within him as jealousy was consuming him, clenching his fists. It's maddening how his better judgment always tells him to leave them be, that he should be happy about them instead, but no matter how hard he tried, he got angrier as his bond with Lucia was only getting stronger. He had no idea in the world of why is it so, but there was something special about Lucia and it doesn't give him peace, not even for a moment when he is around her.

A few moments later did Goku notice someone standing in front of him. He smiled at his friend, oblivious to is inner dilemma and secret resentment for him.

"Hi Kaito." Goku smiled, waving his hand in greetings. Lucia was disappointed that he broke the embrace, pouting a bit before she turned towards Kaito.

"Goku, where did you come from?" Kaito asked, with a slight frown on his face to try and hide the jealousy from the two.

"I was helping the principal to refurnish his office." Goku smiled, pointing at the door behind him. "Lucia told me that you two have been doing some school stuff." He said.

"Yeah, we did pretty much everything that needed to be done." Kaito lied. He knew there were a lot of things to be done, but with Goku around, she will definitely invite him to join them.

"Great, so are you guys going home now?" Goku smiled cheerfully.

"Yeah, we are." Lucia said simply. She thanked Kaito inwardly for relieving her of school duties to be with Goku, though little did she know that it was not even close to Kaito's intentions.

"Well, let's go." Goku smiled before two of them departed to the school exit. Kaito frowned as he looked at those two slowly departing, with Lucia holding Goku's arm. He really had nothing against Goku, but his jealousy of them being together cloud his judgment with each passing day. A few moments later, he followed them afterwards.

The trio then went down some stairs and into the main entrance, standing next to the doors.

"It looks like the rain won't stop falling anytime soon." Goku said as he looked to the sky with blank expression. But the rain is what worried Lucia the most.

" _What am I going to do? If I get myself wet on this rain, then I will turn into a mermaid."_ Lucia thought. Though that didn't happen the last time she got wet from the rain, she didn't want to take any chances as her very life was at stake if Goku sees her transform.

"I suppose you don't have an umbrella, do you?" Kaito asked.

"Actually I do." Goku said as he held in his hand a large black umbrella, smiling with a toothy grin.

"Where did you get that?" Lucia asked curiously.

"The principal gave it to me as thanks for helping him. He told me that the rain will fall today and he came by a car, so he gave it to me." Goku smiled to Lucia before he turned his attention towards Kaito while he opened the umbrella. "So, are we ready to go? You are going in same direction we do, right?" He smiled. But Kaito merely frowned as he put his hands in his pants pockets.

"No, I'll go home by myself, I'll leave you two alone." Kaito said as he went home, getting wet on the rain the least of his problems.

"Wait, you are going to get all wet without an umbrella!" Goku said, surprised that he would go on the rain without the umbrella.

"I don't care, leave me alone!" Kaito suddenly exclaimed as he departed alone, leaving Goku and Lucia with confused expressions. Goku looked towards Lucia.

"Was it something I said?" He asked her innocently. Lucia too was rather confused, she had no idea of why he was so angry. She would have to talk with Hanon and Rina about it.

* * *

Later that day in the afternoon, the rain stopped, but the storm clouds still covered the sky, with occasional thunder roaring in the clouds. The four Dark Lovers banded together at the beach to form a strategy to capture the mermaids.

" _Oh Hippo, how I wish to see you again."_ Yuri cupped her hands in thought. Despite him being on the side of mermaid princesses, he was the first person who had ever showed kindness towards her and it forged a bond between the two which would seem unbreakable. But still, it will not deter her from the task at hand, because if she doesn't meet up to Gaito's expectations, she may suffer the worst possible fate, along with other three water demons working beside her: to be strip of all the power granted to them and be banished into the darkness of the bottom of the ocean.

While Yuri continued to daydream about Hippo, Izure and Eril discussed about their next move.

"We must make sure to capture the mermaid princesses this time or we will be officially reorganized." Eril said in slight panic.

"Let's hope that it will be the only thing that will happen to us. I fear of a worse fate then that." Izure frowned.

"Oh really? Actually I wouldn't mind to be punished by Gaito himself." Eril smiled, actually liking that idea. Then Yuri decided to join in the conversation.

"But what if he gives that satisfaction to those two hags?" Yuri said. Now Eril was starting to get worried.

"That would be bad, I can't even imagine the punishment that sister SheShe would inflict upon us." Eril said, shuddering at the thought.

"Listen, now is the time that we actually work together and come up with a good plan, we have been doing things randomly for far too long." Izure said.

"Well, do you have any ideas?" Eril said.

"Actually I do." Izure smirked.

"Really?!" Eril said excitedly.

"Go ahead, tell us." Yuri said. As for Maria, she was listening intently on what she had to say.

"The mermaid princesses, like us, are searching for other mermaid princesses, right?" Izure pointed out, but it only confused Eril and Yuri.

"They do?" Eril said in confusion,

"Really?" Yuri said, which only frustrated Izure from their stupidity.

"Come on, where have you two been this whole time?!" Izure frowned before she calmed down and continued. "Listen, if another mermaid princess shows up, then the others will surely come to her so they can swell their ranks. So, it's only enough for one of us to disguise ourselves as mermaids, so we can lure them into our trap." Izure said. Eril and Yuri then understood her plan and nodded in agreement. Maria, on the other hand, merely face palmed herself and sighed in frustration. Yet again a stupid plan which is doomed to fail. She had enough of this pointless charade and soon left alone to hunt down Gaito's lookalike.

* * *

At the same time, Lucia, Hanon and Rina were having a drink in a living room. Lucia discussed with the two mermaids about Kaito's sudden frustrations while she was with Goku. She explained to them the entire story all the way to the point where the three of them went to the school entrance.

"And then he left home all of a sudden without an umbrella. I have no idea why he was so angry." Lucia said, shaking the ice in the glass of soda with the straw.

"It's obvious Lucia, he is jealous of you and Goku." Hanon pointed out, surprising Lucia a bit. She noticed Kaito's strange behavior a couple of times during school breaks whenever Lucia was hanging out with Goku and every time he had that frown on his face. That only confirmed her suspicions.

"Jealous? Why would he be jealous of us?" Lucia said blankly.

"Come on Lucia, surely you have noticed by now that he likes you." Hanon said.

"What?! But you know that Goku is the only one I love!" Lucia stammered.

"Yes, but Kaito doesn't understand that. I wouldn't be surprised if he picked up a fight with Goku." Hanon said bluntly.

"He wouldn't." Lucia said, starting to grow uneasy. Hanon raised her eyebrow as she looked at Lucia.

"Why are you so worried Lucia? Goku managed to beat Gaito and his henchmen without a problem and they are a lot stronger than Kaito. If it were to come to a fight, Goku would beat him without even trying. You know that." Hanon said.

"Well yes, but…" Lucia stopped mid-sentence. Then Rina decided to step in.

"Come on Hanon, even if it's true, Kaito would never pick a fight with Goku. I really doubt he will throw away their friendship like that, because Goku never wronged him." Rina said, sipping her juice.

"Yeah, good point." Hanon smiled to Rina before glancing to Lucia. "Don't worry Lucia, I'm sure things will be sorted out without a problem." Hanon said. Even though she was true to what she said, it was not entirely, because she still had a doubt about Kaito's increasing jealousy towards Goku that will only turn to worst. She only hoped it won't come to that, because it would shatter their friendship or worse.

Meanwhile, Hippo was standing at the beach, gazing towards the horizon, thinking about his love named Yuri.

" _Oh Miss Yuri, I miss you so much, I wish we could see each other again."_ Hippo thought, desperately wanting to see her again. He only hoped that their relationship will remain a secret, because it would be disastrous if the mermaids were to find out that he fell in love into their enemy. But he couldn't help it, he cared about her so much and that feeling was mutual between the two.

* * *

The next day at school, Lucia arrived at the classroom during class recess. She entered and went to greet Kaito, who was checking on his notebook.

"Good morning Kaito." Lucia smiled.

"Hey." Kaito said simply in grumpy voice, not averting his attention from the notebook. Lucia's smile disappeared when he heard him talking like that. Was it really true at what Hanon said? Was Kaito really jealous that she likes Goku and not him? Then Kaito stood up.

"Here you go, today's school report. You can fill it in while I do other extracurricular activities." Kaito frowned, wanting to get out of the classroom as soon as possible, knowing that Goku will show up soon.

"Umm, okay." Lucia said, reluctantly taking the notebook from him. Then he departed outside, but not before Goku arrived as well to greet him.

"Hi Kaito." Goku said cheerfully, but his smile disappeared as well when Kaito walked past him with a frown without uttering a word. He looked at him blankly, blinked a few times and wondering of why he was so angry.

"Good morning Goku." Lucia smiled, hiding her worries from him.

"Huh?" Goku said, turning her attention to Lucia and smiled. "Oh hi Lucia, how are you?" He asked cheerfully.

"I'm fine, thank you." Lucia smiled.

"Kaito seems to be angry about something today. Maybe he didn't have a good breakfast." Goku glanced to the doors before looking back at Lucia with an innocent expression.

"Yeah, maybe so." Lucia chuckled nervously, scratching her chin. She was glad that Goku was always the optimistic person, but certainly even he should notice that something bothered Kaito, though she was slightly worried when she remembered Hanon's words.

Later that day, it was time for science experiments outdoors. The entire class was standing near the beach with large glasses filled with blue liquid.

"I never expected that we will have science class outdoors today." Hanon said.

"Yeah, today we are doing a sea plankton experiment." Lucia smiled.

"But girls, aren't you forgetting something? We can't go near the water in front of everyone, they will see us transform." Rina pointed out.

"Don't worry Rina, Hippo went here last night and readied four plankton samples for today." Lucia smiled.

"Four? But there are only three of us, who else would you…" Hanon was interrupted when someone called out to the pink mermaid.

"Hi Lucia!" Goku waved from their right side.

"Hey Goku, glad to see you." Lucia smiled brightly.

"Likewise. I'm sorry that I had to bother you with making that science stuff for me, I wouldn't even know where to start." Goku rubbed the back of his head apologetically, smiling nervously. Lucia merely giggled cutely in response.

"Don't worry Goku, I was glad to help you out." Lucia smiled before she looked at him blankly. "By the way, where did you put the sample?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, here it…" Goku stopped when he found his pockets empty. He was frantically searching for it before he stopped for a second, laughing childishly, while rubbing the back of his head.

"Oops, I forgot to carry it with me." Goku said nervously with a toothy grin. The three mermaids then fell down on their backs in comedic fashion. "I'll be right back, I'm going home to get it." He said.

But before he departed, he noticed a familiar person who was looking at him with an angry frown. It was Kaito. This time, Goku frowned slightly as this was the third time that Kaito was angry about something and now he had this feeling that it has to do with him. The first time he got angry was at school yesterday and again back at the classroom earlier today. This is the third time that Kaito is showing signs of anger and if he is not mistaken, some sort of resentment. Usually he wouldn't be bothered by it, but this time he was curious and he decided to find out the truth.

As for Kaito, he simply couldn't help but get angry at Goku. He was maybe the most popular guy in school, next to Goku, but despite the fact that he could date other girls, Lucia was the girl that draw his attention the most, but Lucia was focused more on Goku. He simply had all he could stand from his fruitless efforts to gain Lucia's attention, but he simply couldn't pick a fight with Goku, which is why all he could do for now is walk away. But unfortunately, Goku was walking towards him with a slight frown that was not common for him.

"Hey Kaito." Goku said.

"What do you want?" Kaito frowned, putting his hands in his pockets and continued to walk.

"Why are you so angry? You have been like this since yesterday." Goku said, walking next to him, determined to know.

"It has nothing to do with you Goku, now leave me alone!" Kaito stopped walking, staring at him sideways.

"I say it does have something to do with me, you were looking at me as if you wanted to fight me." Goku frowned, wanting to get to the bottom of this. Kaito was getting increasingly angry by his stubbornness.

"Why don't you just mind your own business?!" Kaito exclaimed, clenching his fists. Then the two of them started to argue loudly, but Kaito made most of the noise. This drew the attention of pretty much everyone from the class, including the three mermaids and especially Lucia.

"Oh no, it's just as I feared." Lucia said before she departed immediately. "Goku!" She exclaimed. Hanon and Rina followed soon afterwards to back her up.

Goku and Kaito then turned their attention towards Lucia for a second before they locked their gaze to each other again.

"Did something happen to you yesterday, Kaito? Let me help you." Goku said, but still frowning. He knew that Kaito was on the verge to attack him, but since he was his friend from school, he wanted to see if those Dark Lovers attacked him by any chance or something similar to that.

"I don't need your help, except that you get lost!" Kaito exclaimed, clenching his fist forward. But Goku did not even flinch as he stood in front of him with a battle-ready frown. He didn't want to hurt him, but if it comes to trading blows, then it won't be pretty, though he wanted to avoid that situation.

"Kaito, stop fighting, please." Lucia pleaded, trying to break it up.

"Stay out of this Lucia!" Kaito suddenly yelled, startling her as she backed up a step. This action now made Goku angry.

"Hey! Don't yell at her, she didn't deserve it!" Goku exclaimed, his anger now starting to steadily rise. Seeing that this could end up badly, Daichi and Kengo went to break the two before they started fighting, mostly to avoid Kaito from being severely injured if he aggravated Goku further, knowing how strong he was.

"Guys, break it up, it's not worth it!" Daichi said, moving Goku back.

"Yeah, try to calm down bro." Kengo said to Kaito, but he merely gritted his teeth as he looked towards Goku. Kaito wanted to punch him so badly at the moment. Soon enough, he relaxed a bit, but he growled silently as he turned in other direction and went alone, seeing as he won't get that opportunity.

Goku's anger quickly dissipated as he looked at Lucia.

"Sorry about that Lucia, I didn't want you involved in this." Goku looked at her apologetically.

"It's alright, I'm just glad you are okay Goku." Lucia smiled gently, making Goku also smile in return. Daichi and Kengo relaxed as they went back to the others, as they successfully managed to stop the fight between the two. As for Hanon and Rina, they were surprised by Kaito's sudden burst of anger, but it confirmed Hanon's suspicions.

"He _is_ jealous of Goku." Hanon said.

"I guess he must have fallen in love with Lucia to the point that he almost traded blows with Goku. That was something I never expected." Rina frowned slightly, folding her arms.

Wanting to forget about this little quarrel, Lucia decided to change the subject.

"Goku, aren't you forgetting something?" Lucia smiled. The slight frown disappeared from his face as he looked at her innocently again.

"Forgot what?" He asked.

"The sample I gave you." Lucia teased. Goku's eyes shot wide as he remembered that he forgot about that. He merely laughed nervously while scratching his chin.

"Yeah, I completely let that one slide. I'll be back soon, see ya later." Goku waved goodbye before he ran back home.

"Take your time Goku." Lucia smiled, waving her hand in the air. After he made some distance, Hanon and Rina approached Lucia, making Lucia frown sadly, but slightly.

"You were right Hanon, Kaito is really jealous. He was so angry that he almost started a fight with Goku." Lucia said, having flashback of Kaito's heated argument not so long ago.

"Yeah, what are you going to do now? I doubt that things will the same between you three from now on." Hanon said.

"I don't know Hanon, I really have no idea." Lucia said as she looked at the direction Kaito went. Now she found herself in a troublesome predicament. She loves Goku, that's for sure, but now she found out that Kaito likes her. She can't help but think of what would Goku do if he were to find out. Will he get angry? Will he actually fight with Kaito? No, Goku was never the jealous type, he is too pure for that, nor he is ever the one to be prone to anger. He is the type of person who wouldn't hurt a fly, despite his incredible strength and power. For now, she only hoped that Kaito won't actually start a fight with Goku, even though she knew fully well Goku can handle him easily.

Meanwhile, while Kaito was angrily walking to nowhere in particular, Maria was following him from the sea.

"There you are, time to put my plan into action." Maria said as she dived in the water to get ahead of Kaito and intercept him, so she could capture him. But at the same time, another sinister person was watching Kaito with great interest. He had the exact appearance like Kaito, but within that similar façade was none other than Gaito, who assumed his disguise so he wouldn't be recognized by the mermaid princesses. Even so, he still had to make distance from Goku, so he wouldn't be able to sense his energy and blow his cover.

After Kaito continued to walk, passing by the nearby boulder out of sight of the class, Maria had used the opportunity to appear behind Kaito.

"Hello there, human." Maria smirked, catching Kaito off guard.

"What? Who are you?" Kaito asked frantically, but Maria fired a volley of ice shards at him. Kaito barely managed to dodge most of them, but he received a few cuts in his arms and fell down, losing his balance. Maria grinned maliciously as she approached her prey.

"What a disappointment, I thought that you would be tougher than that. Ah well, you are coming with me boy." She said.

"I don't think so!" Kaito said angrily. In his anger, he managed to tap into his power and his forehead started to glow again with strange symbol. Maria was caught by surprise as the illuminating light was getting brighter and more painful to her.

"Oh no, not again!" Maria exclaimed, covering her eyes, forcing her to retreat. But just as the last time, Kaito used too much energy as he didn't master the power he had within him and fainted, not even knowing he possessed that power to begin with.

But the shining light caught Rina's attention.

"What was that light?" Rina said. Even to her, the light that appeared out of nowhere was all too suspicious for her as she ran to check it out.

"Where are you going Rina? Wait up!" Lucia said, following Rina after her sudden departure, along with Hanon.

Meanwhile, with opportunity presenting itself, Gaito walked towards Kaito's unconscious form with a smirk.

"And now, my loving twin, allow me to see what lies within your thoughts." Gaito said, kneeling down and extending his hand on Kaito's forehead, thus entering his mind. He saw a blonde girl in school uniform, the girl that Kaito was attracted to. That girl was Lucia.

"So, _she_ is the one you are craving for." He thought out loud. But then, to his great and pleasant surprise, he found someone else standing next to the blonde girl, the two figures turning towards each other with loving looks on their faces. Gaito smirked at the sight as the male figure was none other than Goku.

"I see. You resent this human for taking this girl from you. Well, let's see what we can do about that." Gaito grinned. This was indeed a pleasant discovery. Kaito has growing hatred for the same human that he himself fought when he sieged the kingdom in North Pacific. Swaying Kaito to his side is going to be easier than he thought. Now Gaito has all the information and incentive he needs to use Kaito's anger to his advantage.

At the same time, while the mermaids rushed to the location of where the strange light shined, they found someone seemingly drowning in the water. But to their confusion, they found the three water demons who apparently have trouble to put on their fake mermaid tails. The three mermaids sweat-dropped at the sight.

"What in the world are they doing?" Lucia asked, raising her eyebrow in confusion.

"It would seem that they are trying to disguise themselves as mermaids to lure us into their trap. Man, what idiots." Rina said in annoyance.

"You can say that again, but what should we do about them?" Hanon asked, turning her attention towards Lucia.

"What do you think? We beat them, of course." Lucia said with determined look. Hanon and Rina nodded as they activated their pearls.

"Voice of the Pink Pearl!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Voice of the Blue Pearl!" Hanon exclaimed.

"Voice of the Green Pearl!" Rina exclaimed.

The three mermaids assumed their Idol Forms and started to sing a song that they developed during their free time, though equally as powerful called Sunny morning.

"Live for you, mermaid voice!" The three mermaids said in unison.

"What would you do if your dream were to come true?  
What would you gain, what would you do my love?  
Maybe it will finally come true at this moment  
Maybe it's time for you to feel the hunger"

"What enthusiasm brings  
Reveal those charms, i don't need them anymore

Take me away (take me away)  
Here i am (here i am)  
I'm all yours!"

"Take me away  
Where you never have before  
Where i can look at you  
Where i am free to love you"

"There i will  
stop daydreaming at last  
and passionately  
Kiss with you until a new sunrise!"

"Loving power of the mermaids!" The three mermaids said simultaneously, pointing at the three panicking water demons that immediately submerged from the attack.

"Well, that was too easy, wasn't it?" Hanon said in slight surprise. She knew that those four water demons were easy to beat at this point, but that was too easy.

"Yeah, now let's finish them off." Lucia said.

"How about an encore?" all three of the mermaids winked, but the Dark Lovers submerged in the water in the comedic fashion. The three mermaids giggled at their childish whining as they reverted from their Idol Forms.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, within a strange realm, Kaito was running aimlessly in the darkness._

" _ **What is this place? Where am i?"**_ _Kaito thought as he checked his surroundings. Everything around him was shrouded in darkness, he had no idea where he was going or why. Then, out of nowhere, a strange man appeared in front of him who looked almost like him. But what shocked him the most is that Lucia was with him, who looked terrified as she was seemingly captured by this man, who was caressing her chin in a taunting way._

" _Lucia!" Kaito said in shock before he frowned "And who are you?!" He exclaimed. Gaito merely smirked at him._

" _So, she is the one you long for, isn't she?" Gaito smirked, aggravating Kaito on purpose to confirm his finds._

" _It's none of your business, so let go of her NOW!" Kaito yelled, clenching his fists. Gaito merely found amusement in his anger. A few moments of silence passed as Kaito glared at this strange man, but it only brought Gaito amusement._

" _If you insist." Gaito obliged with a smirk._

 _He took a few steps back and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Lucia all alone in front of him, still looking terrified as she cupped her hands. But as Kaito was about to reach her, suddenly, an invisible energy pushed him backwards with great force that sent him tumbling back. Then, a shadowy, but familiar figure started to form behind Lucia and this figure started to take shape. It was Goku, who had that frown that was very uncommon for him. He hugged Lucia with his left hand while standing sideways, not averting his stern gaze from Kaito, clenching his right fist, ready to fight. Kaito's anger started to rise fast, his negative emotions in this strange realm amplified, about to attack him, but seeing Lucia burrowing her face on Goku's chest, it made that anger slowly turn to desperation._

 _Then Gaito appeared behind him, looking at him sideways from the corner of his eye._

" _What is it Kaito? Are you going to allow this human to take what is yours?" Gaito said, playing mind games with him._

" _Shut up!" Kaito growled as he turned around, but Gaito disappeared again, making him turn in every direction frantically._

" _Remember, the longer you stall with your immature dilemma, the stronger the bond of those two will be. I would act soon, if I were you." Gaito said. As he finished that sentence, Goku picked Lucia up bridal style and flew high in the air, but not before he glanced at Kaito before he disappeared in the darkness. Kaito's growl turned to raging scream._

* * *

Then moments later, his eyes shot open as he awakened from his nightmare.

"Hey bro, are you alright?" Daichi asked.

"What happened?" Kengo asked.

Kaito was looking left and right to find his friends standing next to him: Daichi, Oyonuki, Kengo, also Lucia, Hanon, Rina and… and Goku. He was the last person he wanted to see after that dreadful scenario, immediately remembering his stern gaze. But, even though it's true that he bore resentment for him deep down, he knew Goku better than that as he was never the type to provoke anyone. Even looking at him now with that concerned look on his face, he could tell that the man he saw in the nightmare was not Goku. He could easily make the difference, because Goku was always the cheerful person loved by entire class, not that cocky and arrogant imposter he saw.

"I'm fine guys, don't worry about it." Kaito said as he stood up. Then he looked towards Goku and the mermaids. "By the way, how did you find me?"

"We were walking on the beach and we saw you unconscious." Hanon smiled.

"Yeah, so the four of us brought you here to Daichi and Kengo. The rest of the class went home by the time we got you here." Goku smiled. Kaito was slightly shocked and surprised. Even though they were on a verge to fight earlier today, Goku still rushed to his side to help him out. Kaito couldn't find even the slightest anger in his eyes. He still had that stupid, innocent smile on his face and genuine concern for his friend. He had to admit, that act made him kick himself for event hating the man. But the least he could do was apologize for the scene he caused today, so he approached Goku and Lucia with a frown, making them look at him blankly. He first turned towards Lucia.

"Lucia, I'm really sorry that I yelled at you. Goku was right, you didn't deserve it at all." Kaito said, guild starting to form in his heart for shouting at her in the first place for no reason.

"Don't worry Kaito, I'm not angry. You were just upset, that's all." Lucia smiled. Kaito was relieved that she forgave him. Then he looked at Goku, who looked at him blankly.

"Goku, I'm sorry that we started an argument in the first place. I was just… angry about something." Kaito said as he yet again had that flashback from the nightmare, looking down with mixture of anger and shame. But Goku merely smiled.

"It's okay Kaito, you know that I will always help you out if someone causes you trouble." Goku said confidently, raising his fist in a friendly way.

"Thanks Goku." Kaito smiled before he turned sideways. "Well, I'm going home now, I'm feeling a little tired. See ya guys." He said before he walked away.

"Bye Kaito." Goku waved goodbye.

"See ya later bro." Daichi said.

"Well, let's go back to the class, the others are probably wondering where we are." Kengo said.

"Okay." Goku and the company said before they headed back as a group. Rina couldn't help but frown as the strange light she saw before. They found Kaito there when the light faded, lying down unconscious.

" _It would seem that there is something strange about Kaito after all. He was there when that strange light faded."_ Rina thought.

As for Goku, he was still in slight doubt about Kaito's rather strange behavior. He was true to his word, but he couldn't help but have this feeling that something happened to Kaito, that the anger and resentment within him did not come of its own volition, especially when he found him lying unconscious on the sand. But at this point, it is only an assumption. Kaito either used his power again and fainted or someone knocked him unconscious and did something to him to make him all angry and hateful towards him. But for now, he was glad that he was alive and well and that it will hopefully remain so.

* * *

Meanwhile, Izure, Eril and Yuri growled at Maria for working behind their backs like that.

"Maria, how dare you to betray us like that?!" Yuri exclaimed.

"It's truly unforgivable!" Eril exclaimed.

"You wanted to steal all the glory for yourself!" Izure growled.

"Now now, there is no need to be violent, I just tried to help you get things done faster, that's all." Maria said nervously, waving her hands to calm them down, but that didn't help her case.

"Like hell you did!" The three water demons ganged up on her, leaving Maria at their mercy.

At the same time, Gaito was lounging in his private pool chamber, gazing through the glass wall into the unknown of the ocean floor. He smirked as he recalled the memories that he read from Kaito's mind.

" _What an interesting development. Who would have thought that Kaito would bear hatred towards the same person that is my enemy? And all because a human girl likes Goku instead of him."_ He thought. He smirked, but soon he narrowed his eyes slightly as he examined the human girl in Kaito's head. _"Or is she a human?"_ He remembered that the girl in Kaito's mind had a pink winged seashell pendant around her neck, having flashback of the mermaid princess of the North Pacific having identical seashell pendant when he tried to take it from her. His eyes widened slightly as he identified the girl, soon breaking into short laugh.

"So, that girl is a mermaid princess. That's why he was so dead set on having her by his side. This is going to be even easier than I expected." He smirked. Soon enough, he threw the towel around his waist and entered the warm pool, relaxing and gleefully smiling. He is not surprised by these turn of events, but he had to admit that he was having the same dilemma with the woman he spends time with sometimes in his private quarters, frowning seriously at the thought as he gazed towards the ceiling. That woman was Sara. He simply got tired of years of solitude, it has been that way his whole life. He was slowly growing fond of her, mostly because they both suffered from the solitude and they wanted to fill the void in their hearts. Sure the Dark Lovers kept him company, but they were the creatures of his own design and they didn't really count. Sara is a completely different story as she wasn't the person that he conjured from his own power and she came to him seemingly out of nowhere. Her desire was to destroy the surface world and all of humanity and to gain her heart, he will do as she bid of him, but not before destroying Goku and capturing the mermaid princesses.

* * *

The next morning, an hour before school time, Goku continued with his intense training, pushing his limits further and further. Right now, he was standing on his right arm, balancing himself and doing pushups at the same time.

"9996, 9997, 9998, 9999, 10,000." Goku gritted his teeth as he was doing the count. At last one, he propelled himself backwards with the arm he was exercising at the moment and landed gracefully. He was moderately tired after hours of constant training, but since school time was approaching, he would have to continue afterwards.

"Phew!" He sighed as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Well, that ought to do it for morning training. Time to grab a bite to eat and head towards school, otherwise I'll be in trouble." Goku said cheerfully to himself before he departed. In the last few days, he was on guard every time he would go to the beach for another possible ambush, but it didn't stop his cheerful personality from surfacing as he knew he could handle the water demons if they were to come.

Soon enough he reached his home. Before he went to eat in the kitchen, Goku went to the shower, so he could cleanse himself of all the sweaty clothes and the stench reeking from him.

"A wise man once said: The harder you train, then the stronger you smell." He smiled with a toothy grin before he jumped in the bath tub with a small splash. He popped out of the water and immediately lied down on the tub. "Man, this feels great, nothing better than a hot bath after intense training." He smiled. But moments later he frowned, starting at the ceiling. _"But, it's still not enough, I have to continue pushing my limits even further. Who knows how powerful Piccolo will be after we face at the tournament."_ He thought. He knows that Piccolo was certainly training after his first defeat, so Goku has to do the same. But for now, he let those thoughts slide as he smiled at another, more pleasant thought. It was about Lucia. He still can't stop his heart from fluttering at all the times that they both had so much fun together, especially when he sees her smile so cheerfully without a care in the world. Most notable memory was the night that they kissed, even though those two ghosts helped with that. That night was etched in his memory. Sure he kissed with the mermaid a while back at the aquarium compound, but to him, the second kiss had more of an impact on him than from the mermaid. Has he truly taken a liking to Lucia that much?

But almost on cue, his stomach growled loudly, echoing the bathroom, breaking Goku from his thoughts. Goku laughed childishly.

"Well, that means it's time to eat." Goku smiled. He washes his hair and then dried himself before he put on his school uniform. He still hated wearing that thing, but it was an obligation from all the students at school, so he had no choice. He gorged on large assortment of food before he left his home.

* * *

Later that day, Lucia, Hanon and Rina went together to school. While they were walking inside the school grounds, Hanon had that slightly sad look on her face, which worried Lucia a little.

"What is it Hanon? You seem worried about something." Lucia asked innocently.

"Yeah, to be honest, it's about Taro. Something is troubling him in the past couple of days, as he is always in thought about something and sighing sadly, which worries me as well." Hanon said.

"Then why don't you go and ask him?" Lucia smiled. Hanon's eyed widened slightly at the suggestion.

"Ask him? Well, I don't know." Hanon said in low tone, rubbing her shoulder. She was afraid to question him about his love life so directly, fearing that it will make him angry and reject her from him.

"Come on Hanon, you will never know what troubles him unless you ask him yourself." Lucia smiled, encouraging her friend to go.

"Speaking of which…" Rina said, pointing at Taro sitting alone at the bench, staring at the sky aimlessly with blank expression, completely lost in thought.

"This is your chance Hanon, he is all alone." Lucia smiled, but Hanon was a little anxious to go. She was always the one who teases Lucia when she has her own troubles with Goku, but when it comes to Taro, her emotions flip upside down.

"But I'm scared to ask him." Hanon said nervously, turnings towards Rina. "Can you please go and ask him?" Hanon pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Sorry Hanon, but it's your problem, not mine, so you will have to do it instead." Rina said bluntly, not wanting to take part in Hanon's love problem, despite being her best friend.

At the same time, Goku arrived at school and noticed Lucia with Hanon and Rina standing in front of Mr. Mitsuki for some reason. He went there to greet them.

"Hey guys." Goku smiled, waving his hand. The three mermaids turned around to find Goku.

"Hi Goku." Lucia also smiled. Taro finally broke from his thoughts, realizing that four of the classmates gathered up behind him.

"Oh hi everyone, are you four having some kind of gathering?" Taro smiled. Goku was about to step in until Lucia pushed Hanon forward gently, silently encouraging her to ask him already. Hanon reluctantly continued, fear gripping her heart slowly the longer she stalled.

"Well, Mr. Mitsuki, I was wondering if you can tell us more about the mermaid that you met long ago in the Indian Ocean. If you don't mind." She asked hesitantly. Taro already told her the story about the mermaid, but she needs to know more information about her, wanting to confirm her suspicions about that mermaid being one of them. Even so, she still wanted to know how deeply Taro cared about her.

"Of course, Hanon." Taro said blankly. He was a little confused by her sudden question, but he was willing to explain. Hanon, on the other hand, was startled at his blank expression, fearing that she pushed her luck with that question.

"I mean, if you don't want to tell us, it's alright. I'm sorry I even asked." Hanon said nervously, waving her hands in front of her. Taro turned around with slightly sad expression, recalling the memories of days past.

"Actually, I would love to tell you." Taro smiled as he glanced towards Hanon, turning towards the four. "In fact, I would have liked for Goku to hear it too." He said.

"Huh? Why me?" Goku asked curiously, surprised that he was a part of his story.

"Because I have known your grandfather Gohan while you were just a little boy." Taro smiled.

"You knew my grandpa?" Goku said, his eyes slightly wide in surprise. Even the three mermaids were surprised to hear that Taro knew Goku's grandfather.

"Indeed, but that was eight years ago." Taro said, having flashbacks of the past events. "I was very young back then and with my parents we travelled into a beautiful valley known as Mount Paozu, if I recall is where you and your grandfather come from." Taro said. Goku nodded in confirmation. "We made camp there for a few days before we went on, but one night, while I was travelling alone deep in the woods, I was attacked by a group of bandits who were stalking in those parts." He said. All three of the bandits were anthropomorphic creatures.

" _Well hey, look who we have here." A gorilla man said._

" _Looks like someone got stranded all alone." A tiger man said._

" _What? Who are you?" Taro said in shaky tone, backing away from the three muscular bandits._

" _Oh we were just passing by and we saw a victim. Now hand over everything you own and we might let you live, kid." A boar man said, drawing his knife and pointing at him. Taro was getting increasingly frightened by these three unknown bandits._

" _I'm afraid I don't have anything with me, but ill lend you some money after I get back to…" A mortified Taro was interrupted after a tiger man grabbed him by his shirt, grinning maliciously._

" _Sorry kid, but if you don't have anything with you, we will take your life instead." The tiger man laughed, taking the knife from the boar man and pointing it on Taro's neck. Taro was sweating from the impending demise as the bandits laughed, but suddenly…_

" _Leave that young man alone this instant!" An old voice said from behind the bandits. It was an old man in orange and black martial arts uniform with green hat and whiskers._

" _Beat it gramps, we will deal with you shortly!" A gorilla man said._

" _I said put him down right now or there will be a world of pain for you three." The old man frowned. He hated when low life punks were picking on people who can't even defend themselves, especially youngsters like that boy. The tiger man let go of Taro and turned towards the old man, along with other two bandits, laughing arrogantly at easy target in front of them._

" _You have some nerve old man. I will beat you into the ground for that." Tiger man said. Taro was afraid that the old man would get severely beaten as all three of them charged at him, but the old man stood still with his arms behind his back, waiting for them to come at him. To Taro's surprise, the old man jumped into the air and nimbly spinned forward before dashing to the boar man, kicking him in the back and sending him crashing into a tree. Taro and two other bandits gawked at his incredible performance. But two other bandits continued to attack, but the old man stood still. Gorilla man leaped towards him, but the old man punched him in the gut, hard enough to incapacitate him, but not knock him unconscious. The old man then turned towards the last bandit._

" _You are dead, old man!" A tiger man said, thrusting his knife towards the old man with killing intent._

" _Oh no, look out!" Taro exclaimed, but to his even greater surprise, the old man casually caught the knife with his thumb and index finger. The tiger man struggled to even move the knife from his iron grip, but he didn't even budge. Then the old man lifted the bandit up by the tip of the knife. Taro's eyes went wide in shock at the old man's incredible strength. The old man then threw the bandit at the nearby tree in a comedic fashion before he easily flicked the bandit's knife at him. The tiger man yelped in fear as the knife struck at the tree merely inches away from his head. Realizing that they were no match for this unbelievably strong elder, the three bandits ran away._

" _Let's get out of here!" Tiger man said, running away, along with a gorilla man._

" _Wait for me!" The panicked boar man said, running as fast as he could._

 _As soon as they left, the elder walked towards Taro, extending his hand to help him get up._

"It was something I have never seen before in all my life. He was incredibly strong, he took care of those thugs without even the slightest difficulty." Taro said, still in amazement of that day. The three mermaids looked at Goku in surprise and slight shock.

"Yup, that's my grandpa." Goku grinned proudly with a toothy grin. He knew himself how strong his grandfather was, even he had difficulty fighting him before and after he died, especially when he was visiting Fortuneteller Baba.

"In that night, he was passing by with you in tow. You were sleeping so soundly that your grandfather carried you home." Taro smiled.

"Oh yeah, I remember. Grandpa and I were training whole day in the forest and it was really intense. I was so tired that day that he carried me home." Goku smiled before his face went blank. "But I never knew that you met my grandpa that same night." He said. Unfortunately, it was about a week before Gohan was crushed by a giant monster, leaving Goku all alone afterwards.

"Yes, it was fortunate though." Taro smiled, continuing to remember those moments years ago.

" _Are you alright, young man?" The old man said._

" _Yes, thank you so much sir." Taro bowed in respect, immensely grateful._

" _What is your name, boy?" The elder smiled._

" _My name is Taro Mitsuki, pleasure to meet you." Taro bowed his head again._

" _And my name is Gohan. But you shouldn't go all alone in the woods at this time, who knows what would have happened to you if I wasn't passing by." Gohan said seriously._

" _Yes, but…" Taro's face went slightly sad. "I just lost myself in thought, that's all." Taro said. Gohan was curious to hear him out._

" _What were you thinking about, if I may ask?" Gohan asked._

" _Well, you see, I'm a musician and… and recently I have… doubts of my capabilities as a musician. I was thinking about giving up on it, because…" Taro looked down sadly, words coming out harder by the second. "What if i fail the people's expectations?" Taro said. Gohan understood his dilemma and laughed light-heartedly._

" _Well, you will never know unless you try, young man." Gohan smiled. "I may not know much about music, but I do know this: If that is what you love to do with all your heart, then you shouldn't be concerned with thoughts of others. Life is too short to cling to doubts and you should always follow your dreams. If you believe in yourself, then you will be able to accomplish great things." Gohan smiled. These words gave Taro confidence. Sure his own parents encouraged him as well, but to a lesser degree, because his parents were not musicians. Hearing Gohan's words of encouragement really sored his confidence to new heights._

"My grandpa said that?" Goku asked innocently.

"He did." Taro smiled. "With your grandfather's words of encouragement to guide me, when I was of age, I was free to travel the world alone. I travelled to a small village at Indian Ocean, I always wanted to go there so that was my destination. But while I was walking near the beach on that lunar night, I saw a beautiful orange-haired mermaid. Since that night, while I was staying in the village, the mermaid would appear more and more frequently." Taro smiled, having flashbacks of those wonderful moments they shared. "And every time she would show up, she would sing beautiful songs to me. To return the gesture, I played on my piano the melody of the emotions that I felt in those moments. Soon enough, the mermaid and I held two halves of the same seashell and we vowed that we would be with one another forever." Taro smiled, but then he frowned sadly. "Unfortunately, it didn't last long. She once told me that as a mermaid princess, she could never abandon the Indian Ocean." Taro said.

" _Mermaid princess of the Indian Ocean?"_ Hanon thought. Her suspicions were confirmed, there is indeed a mermaid princess. Taro was actually in relationship with mermaid princess. And here she thought Lucia was the only one to have a relationship with a human, an incredibly strong one to boot.

"And because of that, we had to break our vows. It was difficult for both of us, but it had to be done. It was something that I remember frequently in recent time." Taro said. He was haunted by the mermaid's sad and teary expression when he had to break up with her. But it was necessary as he didn't want to be responsible for her abandoning of her duties, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

"I am going to announce a final recital. If that doesn't inspire the audience, then I'm finished with music for good." Taro said decisively with a frown before he left to the classroom, leaving the four students. Goku, Lucia and Rina watched as Taro was leaving inside the building before they turned their attention towards Hanon, who stood still in place with a sad frown. Hanon had no idea that Taro was so mesmerized by that mermaid that he remembers her even after all these years. For the first time in a long period, she had doubts about her fruitless advances towards him, making her question herself and this seemingly one-sided relationship.

While Lucia and Rina understood Hanon's pain, Goku had no idea of her affection towards their teacher. Aside from that, he had never seen Taro so sad before. Now that he told him and his friends about his grandpa, something he was never told of and of his romance with the orange-haired mermaid, he somewhat understood his decision. Although it would be foolish to make a comparison between the relationships of kin and lover, because it was a very painful experience for him when his grandpa died, he understood that the pain he experienced when he broke up from the mermaid must have been just as painful.

Then he smiled as he decided to change the subject.

"So, what do you say we go and get something to eat? We still have some time before the class begins." Goku smiled brightly, glancing from Lucia and Rina to Hanon. Lucia and Rina nodded, but Hanon turned her attention towards Goku, a sad frown still on her face. Then Goku continued.

"What do you say Hanon? Better hurry before all the food is gone." He said with a toothy grin. This gesture warmed her heart. She found it so endearing from him that he tries to cheer her up, despite her inner turmoil towards Taro. She gently smiled before she nodded.

"Sure, let's go." Hanon smiled. Then Goku and the mermaids went inside the school building and headed to cafeteria.

* * *

Meanwhile, within Gaito's castle, The Black Beauty Sisters have acquired interesting information that might aid them in capturing the mermaid princesses. The sisters gave the picture of a human to their master.

"So, this is the human you were talking about?" Gaito asked. He didn't know that the human within the picture was Taro Mitsuki.

"Yes, we have discovered that this human has a melody that can attract the mermaids, isn't that right sister Mimi?" SheShe smirked, glancing towards her sister.

"Indeed. Those worthless Dark Lovers were hiding this piece of information from us, but we managed to beat it out of them." Mimi grinned. Gaito was not offended by their actions, in fact he smirked at the answer as little discipline was in order anyway if they were to accomplish their task.

"Then what you plan to do next?" Gaito asked.

"Well, the plan is to lure this human to us, so we can snatch him and force him into servitude, so we can capture the mermaid princesses one by one." SheShe explained.

"The alluring melody will draw them to us and at that moment they will be vulnerable to our assault." Mimi smirked. This sounded like a promising strategy for Gaito. If this human truly had that unique ability, then he might as well let them proceed with their plan.

"Very well, let it be done. If you need assistance, you are free to hire the Dark Lovers to the cause." Gaito said.

"We are grateful master Gaito, but we don't need any mistakes in this endeavor and those four are sure to deliver it to us." SheShe smirked with closed eyes.

"Those four would only get in our way anyway." Mimi frowned arrogantly.

"Alright then, proceed with your plan as you please, but just get the job done." Gaito frowned slightly.

"This time we will capture the mermaids and defeat that human Goku once and for all." SheShe smirked. Then the sisters departed to fulfill their task. During recent events, Gaito really had doubts that his servants can take on a mighty opponent like Goku, even he was of no match against him. The only way to truly defeat him is if he unites his power with Kaito's. Even so, they should at least be capable of recovering the mermaids and their pearls.

After they left, Sara appeared from Gaito's left side.

"So Gaito, have you found a way to capture the mermaid princesses?" Sara asked, walking towards Gaito as he looked at the picture of a human. Sara gasped slightly as she recognized the man.

"Mitsuki?" Sara said silently, though Gaito could clearly hear her.

"What's wrong? You know this human?" Gaito asked curiously.

"No, I don't." Sara said in denial, turning her attention away from the picture, thought Gaito could somewhat see through her veil of denial.

"Your face says otherwise, my dear Sara." Gaito smiled slightly.

"Maybe you are just a little jealous, aren't you?" Sara teased him a bit, trying to conceal the inner anger.

"Don't be ridiculous." Gaito scoffed, finding her notion absurd. Sara said nothing as she took the picture from him, looking at it with eyes filled with anger and disgust.

"Like I said, I hate humans. They represent nothing but objects to vent their hatred. They are disgusting creatures." Sara said with slight anger, ripping the picture of Taro in two before she turned sideways. "Creatures that only know of treachery." She said before she departed to her private quarters. But Gaito frowned at this newly found secret. He was no fool, he could see through her fragile façade. There is a connection between this human and Sara and he didn't like it one bit, especially when he found her upset about this. He won't lose her, he can't lose her, he will do anything to win over her heart, even if it means turning this pathetic world into dust.

But, in Sara's quarters, she was sitting at the table with large mirror, opening a drawer to find an extremely familiar half of an orange sea shell. It was the same sea shell that she and Taro held close to their hearts long time ago, a symbol of their vows and beautiful union. Or so it was. Despite her hatred towards Taro for betraying her like he did, she can't deny this emotion in her heart for Taro as she looked sadly at the shell in her hand.

"Mitsuki." She said.

* * *

Later that day, Taro's piano recital was about to commence. Goku, Lucia, Hanon and Rina stood in front of the building, with Lucia not being so happy about Goku suddenly leaving.

"What? But why are you going now? We need to be there to support Mr. Mitsuki." Lucia frowned with a slight sad frown before she pouted childishly, folding her arms. "You said you would come." She said. Goku chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry Lucia, I would love to go in, but I'm starving." He said. Sure he ate back at school, but most of the food was gone, so he needed more food to sate his enormous appetite.

"Seriously, don't you think of anything else but food?" Hanon frowned angrily.

"Yeah, of course I do." Goku said seriously before moments later, he immediately grabbed his stomach. "But not when I'm this hungry." He said, making the three mermaids fall on the ground in comedic fashion.

"Don't worry you guys, I promise that I will join you as soon as I'm full." Goku smiled casually. Lucia wanted to scold him at the moment, though his goofy face always soothed her nerves, making her smile back.

"Alright Goku." She said before she went closer. "But you better come inside afterwards, because if you don't, then I won't cook for you." She poked his chest, teasing him. She knew fully well by now how he reacts to her not cooking for him, even though that was a lie. She would always cook for this goof, thought seeing his shocked, blue face always made her giggle.

"Okay okay, I promise." Goku waved his hands nervously in front of him. Then he turned sideways. "Well, I better go, see ya later." He said, running towards the nearby restaurant to eat. Lucia waved back with a silent smile.

"I guess there is no end to his bottomless pit of a stomach." Rina sweat-dropped.

"Well, with his training being so intense as it is, no wonder why he eats so much." Lucia said, rubbing her head in wonder.

"Well, let's hope he saves a spot for your cooking Lucia, so that you two would have more time together." Hanon teased, making Lucia blush at the comment.

"Shut up Hanon!" Lucia pouted, making Hanon and Rina laugh at her expense. Lucia huffed by their teasing.

"Well, let's go inside, Taro is about to start." Hanon said, starting to be impatient. Lucia and Rina nodded, with all three of them going inside the hall to take the seat.

Behind the curtains of the stage, Taro was ready to put all of his skill and determination into his performance. Before he went to the stage, he took a handkerchief from his pocket inside his suit and within it, there was an orange half of a sea shell, the same one that Sara gave him long ago.

" _Sara, if you are among the crowd by any chance, I dedicate today's performance to you."_ Taro thought, frowning in determination. He clenched the shell before he put it back inside the suit's pocket and was ready to begin. Immediately, he was already greeted with a sound applause from the audience, bowing to them before he sat at the piano. Among the crowd, Lucia, Hanon and Rina also cheered him on, Hanon more so, but was also concerned for the outcome of today's recital.

" _Aqua Regina, please grant him the strength to inspire the audience, so he would never quit the music."_ Hanon prayed inwardly with all her might. The only thing she can do for now is hope that everything will turn out well.

Then Taro started to play his piano. The audience was silently listening to his composition, not a single sound could be heard, other than the tunes of his piano, meaning that he is performing well so far. But unknown to Taro, Sara was among the crowd as well with her shroud on her head completely removed, revealing her beautiful face with orange eyes, but black hair.

" _Mitsuki, I will never forgive you for what you have done. Never."_ Sara thought spitefully, hating every fiber of his being. And yet, it didn't seem so the longer she listened to his beautiful music that he once played for her years ago.

Outside of the hall towards the ocean, The Black Beauty Sisters hovered high above the sea, surrounded by a red orb of energy that they usually emanate when they sing.

"It would seem that we will drag the entire concert hall to the bottom of the ocean, along with our musician." SheShe smirked maliciously.

"I love this plan, finally some destruction!" Mimi said, blushing in excitement.

"And once the currents of the sea drag him beneath, we will enslave him to do our bidding and ours alone." SheShe said. The sisters let out a muffled chuckle as they conjured a massive tidal wave behind them, with no one being aware of its coming.

Meanwhile, in a restaurant not far from the concert hall, Goku was eating an enormous quantity of food at record speed, gorging with immense delight at the very taste of food. After a few minutes, he finally ate the last large plate, licking his mouth in delight.

"That was great, I'm full!" He said cheerfully. He then paid the food he ate and walked back to Lucia and her friends, stretching his arms wide. "Now that hit the spot, but I better go back to Lucia. She won't be too happy if I wander off elsewhere." He smiled. As he was making is way to the hall, he saw a faint red orb in the distance towards the sea.

" _That's strange, what could it be?"_ He thought, blinking a few times. Then he frowned. _"Whatever it is, it feels familiar. I better go and check it out."_ He then looked at the sky. "FLYING NIMBUS!" He called to his cloud, since there was no one in the vicinity. He jumped on the cloud and made his way towards the red orb.

At the same time, while the three mermaids enjoy listening to Taro's music, especially Hanon, something dangerous caught Rina's attention.

" _Huh? What is that eerie sound?"_ Rina thought, now being on full alert. She could hear a loud noise coming from the sea and it wasn't natural. She then proceeded to warn Lucia and Hanon.

"Hey, Lucia." Rina whispered, tapping Lucia at her shoulder.

"What is it Rina?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Listen carefully to the sound in the distance. Can you hear it too?" Rina whispered again. Lucia closed her eyes and concentrated on the sound Rina mentioned. To her surprise, she heard waves that were getting louder and louder by the second.

" _Yes, I can hear it. But what could it be?"_ Lucia frowned in thought. Rina then tapped Hanon's shoulder, who was mesmerized by Taro's music, frowning that Rina interrupted her for listening to his blissful melody.

"What is it? Don't bother me during Taro's concert." Hanon frowned.

"Never mind that, close your eyes and focus on the sound of the waves from the outside. These are not the ordinary waves." Rina whispered in her ear. Hanon did just that and to her surprise, she _did_ hear for what seems a massive wave. With no time to waste, all three of them went outside to see what was going on.

Goku on the other hand, was getting near the red orb in the sky, already sensing a dark and familiar power level.

" _This energy feels familiar. If I didn't recognize it before, then it has to be…"_ Goku's thought was interrupted when he saw two figures floating in the orb.

"It's those two again." Goku frowned. The sisters were shocked to find someone they never expected.

"Oh no, it's Goku!" SheShe exclaimed.

"What is he doing here?" Mimi's eyes were wide in shock. Goku stopped a few feet from the sisters, still on his flying nimbus, standing upright and gazing sternly at them.

Lucia, Hanon and Rina quickly went behind the concert all, running at the end of the stone passage heading towards the sea.

"What is that?" Lucia asked, pointing at the red and yellow dots in the sky. Rina immediately recognized who the people in the red orb are.

"The Black Beauty Sisters, what are they up to now?" Rina frowned.

"No idea, but it seems Goku is now in control." Hanon smiled, immediately identifying the yellow dot as Goku's Flying Nimbus.

"Are you sure Hanon?" Lucia turned her attention towards her.

"Who else would ride on Nimbus except you and Goku?" Hanon said.

"Yeah, you are right." Lucia smiled brightly, relieved that Goku noticed those two on time.

"What are you up to this time?" Goku said sternly, clenching his fists on his sides.

"It doesn't concern you, but you will know soon enough." SheShe said. The two sisters chuckled maliciously. Goku realized that they had something in mind to the people at the concert hall, considering they were gazing at it with interest.

"I don't care what evil plan you two are conjuring up, but leave these people out of this, your fight is with me!" Goku said boldly, taking his fighting position. The sisters merely smirked at each other before they looked back at Goku. And then…

"So long Goku!" The sisters said, suddenly darting down into the sea. Goku almost lost his balance after that sudden retreat, infuriated that they left just like that.

"Get back here! You gotta be kidding, you can't just come here and run away!" Goku whined childishly, bending forward and looking at the water demons, but the sisters already submerged in the water. "Seriously, why did they even bother to… huh?" He stopped when he heard a loud noise coming from the sea. To his surprise, and also the mermaids, a tidal wave can be seen from the distance, sending moderately strong winds in their direction.

"Wow, look at the size of that wave." Lucia said.

"What are we going to do? We are not strong enough to stop it." Rina frowned. They had no idea how to prevent this impending catastrophe, so they place their hopes in Goku's hands once again.

Bach in the hall, Sara continued to look at Taro playing his music. Slowly, her hate and resentment for him are suppressed by her grief and genuine love that she experienced years ago.

" _What is going on? All the hate I feel for him is slowly dissipating. Why?"_ She frowned sadly, looking at the familiar shell she clutched in her hand, tears forming in her eyes, one drop falling on her shell. _"Mitsuki, I tried to despise you, but… this nostalgia, this feeling of warmth and softness. That is what I felt when I first saw you from the Indian Ocean so long ago. I feel love yet again, just like I had back then."_ She thought sadly. She couldn't help but close her eyes and remember those extremely blissful moments she shared with him, standing close to each other as the sun was setting on the horizon and looked lovingly at each other before they kissed gently on the lips. After the kiss, they both held the halves of the sea shell, cupping them together and wrapping their fingers around each other's hands as they clutched the shell. The love she felt for Taro was so great that it soared to the heavens themselves, an unbreakable and true love. But it also plummeted lower than the ground when they broke up, the pain, anger and sorrow in her heart so great that it physically changed her color of hair from bright orange into pitch black. She hated him for what he had done, but at the same time she still loves him.

Back outside, Goku was quickly trying to come up with a plan to stop this new threat.

"Man, that's one heck of a wave, It's so huge. If I don't stop it soon, then a lot of innocent people will drown." Goku frowned before he clenched his fist in front of him. "Alright then, I guess I have no choice but to use The Kamehameha Wave. It might be able to stop it if I put enough power into it." He said. He cupped his hands in front of him and started chanting the technique.

"KaaaMeee… HaaaMeee…." Goku chanted. The blue and white rays started to form in Goku's hands. Before he unleashed his devastating attack, suddenly, he heard someone singing from the distance behind him. The mermaids also heard the singing, looking up high above the hall at the tower's edge to find a woman with long black hair standing there.

"I lived a fairytale, that i was all yours  
I thought that i weaved our love nest,  
I gave everything too early, i see that now  
i have mistaken but now it's late to be ashamed  
Then when you lose everything you believe in  
When they leave you, when you are left alone  
you realize that yours was something important  
which no one cares more than you"

" _Who is that? Whoever she is, she is emanating an enormous amount of energy. What is she up to?"_ Goku frowned at the thought, cancelling his energy attack as the unknown woman started to glow with orange aura.

The three mermaids couldn't identify the stranger, but they immediately recognized the ability that she shared with them.

"Impossible." Lucia said in slight awe.

"Another mermaid princess?" Rina said. Only the mermaid princesses have the power to use their singing voices into a weapon, they have never seen a black-haired mermaid princess before.

"I don't know if i should believe you'll be mine again  
should i obey my heart, will you leave me  
my heart is seared and it hurts immensely  
i cant forbid my heart to love you  
Ours worlds were one and we loved each other  
We swore eternal love to one another  
But what is left for us  
you are not mine, everything was in vain..."

" _Her power level is growing fast, I need to be on guard on whatever she is planning to do."_ Goku thought grimly as the woman's aura tripled in size and this time Goku was ready for whatever this mysterious person might throw at him.

Even now, after everything  
i think about you, but i don't want to  
i dream, like before,  
that you love me with all your heart  
if only you could know  
that i would still share everything with you..."

To Goku's surprise, the woman fired an enormous beam of orange light. The beam was shot at incredible speed that caught Goku by surprise. He screamed in panic as he jumped backwards, narrowly dodging the attack that continued its way to the massive tidal wave. After it struck home, the blast shined with enormous light that blinded everyone in its vicinity. After several seconds, the light died down and Nimbus caught Goku as he was falling, plopping on it harmlessly. Goku covered his eyes on time, the intensity of that light was almost equal to Solar Flare technique. When he slowly opened his eyes, they went wide as the wave was gone.

"Man, that was incredible! She wiped out that massive wave like it was nothing. Amazing." Goku said in slight awe as he looked back to the tower, but to his surprise, the woman was gone. "What? Where did she go? She was there a minute ago." He said to himself before he frowned. Whoever that stranger person was, her power level was greater than even the Black Beauty Sisters, yet her energy was dark, but not completely. It was the first time that he sensed an energy signal that is mostly dark, but he could also sense a shred of goodness in this unknown girl for some reason. He simply couldn't explain it, but he couldn't consider her to be entirely evil as she just saved a lot of innocent people from drowning, but still, there was definitely something off about that girl if she possessed that dark energy.

"Who was that woman? She just saved us from that tidal wave." Lucia asked her friends curiously.

"I have no idea, but even though she saved us, I have a bad feeling about her." Rina frowned. Lucia and hanon turned towards Rina.

"Well, that's the mystery we will have to solve later, I guess." Lucia shrugged. At the moment, she considered the mystery girl their ally and besides, she will try to spend the remaining time with Goku, which is why she went to call for him.

"Goku! Down here!" Goku heard someone calling for him. He looked down to find Lucia, Hanon and Rina standing there. He flew down to greet them.

"Hey girls, what are you doing here? I thought that you were at Taro's concert." Goku asked curiously. Hanon's eyes shot wide as she forgot that the show was still on.

"Oh no, the concert!" Hanon suddenly exclaimed, immediately running back inside and not wanting to miss Taro's music any longer than she already did.

"Hanon, wait up!" Lucia exclaimed, following her, with Rina doing the same, leaving Goku with confused expression. He had no idea what they were doing here, but he didn't thought about it much as he chuckled light-heartedly and followed them.

They quickly reached the main doors leading to the hall and after two minutes, Taro finished with his composition. To his pleasant surprise, the audience gave Taro a standing ovation, cheering loudly, which also warmed Hanon's heart immensely that Taro succeeded in inspiring the crowd.

"Look, he did it. The audience is applauding him." Lucia smiled, glad that he did it. His success brought Hanon to tears of joy that formed in her eyes.

"Well done Taro, now you will not quit the music after this, right?" Hanon said to himself. Goku and Rina also smiled at his success, but they frowned and individually dwelled on that woman that saved them and the entire hall. As for Goku, he was still astonished at the woman's enormous power. He had never seen her before and yet, her technique was similar to his mermaid he first saw singing a while back, only that woman performed that ability differently. He only hoped that this show of mercy was not a façade that covered her true intentions.

As for Rina, she had never seen a mermaid princess with black hair. But, when that woman radiated with orange aura, her opinion changed. She had suspicions that woman might have been the mermaid Taro mentioned, but she can't say that for sure, not until she confirms that information from the mermaid herself.

Back to the stage, even though Taro was pleased greatly by his success, he was still saddened that Sara was not here to listen to his music. But little did he know that Sara was present the entire time, but after she erased that tidal wave, she retreated back to the sea before Goku could catch her. She was well aware of who he is and what he is capable of, considering he managed to beat Gaito's Dark Lovers and Black Beauty sisters, including Gaito himself when he sieged Lucia's kingdom. But at the moment, she frowned sadly as only one thought plagued her mind.

"Mitsuki." She said sadly. She hated Taro for years since they broke up and her hatred for him never wavered. But in those moments of weakness, the love for him resurfaced as she couldn't just let Taro die and she did what had to be done. But she forced her anger and thirst for vengeance to overpower her love for him as she will no longer be vulnerable in his presence. He wronged her badly that day and now he has to pay. She loved him with every fiber of her being and he just threw her aside like a common trash. She frowned angrily at the thought as she went back to Gaito's castle. She doesn't have the heart to kill him, that's for sure, but when time comes, he will make him suffer for a long time, just as she had suffered.

* * *

 **A/N: Happy holidays and Happy new year! ( little late for that, yeah). Thank you for the support and reviews so far, im having a blast writing the story. Most of you are probably wandering when will the fight with Piccolo happen, but that will have to wait for now since Gaito is the current threat for Goku. Those who watched the Mermaid Melody anime will be surprised at what i have in store for Goku vs Gaito fight.**

 **-Drake202 Thanks, i appreciate it. Yeah, most enemies tend to underestimate their opponents. It sounds like a good idea, though i doubt that the mermaids are ready for the Turtle Hermit training, if Goku and Krillin had so much trouble as kids lol**

 **-SuperKamehameha Thanks bro, we are getting there one chapter at the time :)**

 **-Guest The fight against Gaito and Mikel will be a lot more challenging then you realize.**

 **-gsan9770 Thank you, don't worry, i will add some DBZ elements into the story, but the only DB villain that poses threat to Goku at this point is Piccolo and i'm saving him for the tournament. I wont say much without revealing spoilers, but Goku will have his challenging fight, though that doesn't mean i will shaft other characters in favor of Goku, gotta give a spotlight for other characters in a major fight to come.**

 **Thanks again and see ya in the next chapter :)**


	14. Chapter 14

~A Baby's Love~

Another sunny day and nothing special happened in the last couple of hours. While Goku continues to push his training regime to new heights, Lucia is helping with home chores while Nicole and Madame Taki went for hotel supplies. Hippo also decided to help Lucia since there is much to be done, but Hanon on the other hand was lying on the sunbed, painting her fingernails in boredom. Lucia pouted at Hanon being so lazy.

"Hanon, am I interrupting something? I could use your help to get things done around here." Lucia frowned slightly, carrying a basket of wet clothes to dry up.

"Sorry Lucia, no can do, I have to wait until my manicure dries up." Hanon said casually before she glanced towards Lucia. "Besides, you know that I am terrible at house work." She said.

"What, you think that I am better at it?" Lucia said, rolling her eyes and sighing slightly.

"I would love to help you out, but I was invited to Taro's piano recital, so I have to get ready." Hanon smiled, cupping her hands in glee. "Boy, I can't wait to come."

"I doubt that, but you will ruin it either way." Lucia narrowed her eyes in annoyance. But since Hanon wasn't paying attention at all because she was daydreaming again, she dropped the notion of Hanon helping her out.

"Forget it, you are completely useless anyway." Lucia said while placing the wet clothes on the long string to dry up. Hippo overheard the conversation and he too was annoyed at how lazy Hanon can be.

"Hanon is doing nothing in last couple of days, she is always slacking with her antics." Hippo frowned disappointingly before he glanced towards Lucia. "While Lucia became a true housemaid." He said. That kind of statement made Lucia fall down sideways in comedic fashion before she stood up quickly with a sweat-drop.

"Hippo, is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?" Lucia asked bluntly.

Moments later, to their great surprise and shock, they heard crying of a small creature from the bushes. They were immensely surprised to find a crying human infant crawling on his tiny arms and legs.

"What?! A baby?!" Lucia and Hanon said simultaneously in complete shock of finding baby all alone appearing out of nowhere from the bushes. Lucia picked the baby up in her gentle embrace, tilting her left and right to calm her down.

"This is really strange." She said before she glanced to Hanon. "Hanon, let's go and find her parents. They have to be somewhere nearby, they probably lost her." She said. This time Hanon complied.

"Right." Hanon nodded in agreement.

* * *

Meanwhile, far away at the beach to the north, Goku is training hard and getting stronger with every session. Today, since no one came, he used the opportunity to perform an Multiform Technique and make a single copy of himself, because he really needed a sparring partner to sharpen his fighting skills. He trained since early in the morning and for over two hours he and his copy disappeared and reappeared all over the place, with blurs occasionally appearing and sometimes a booming clash of two fists can be heard, followed by sound of punches and kicks being simultaneously thrown. The pair would also show up, with Goku delivering a roundhouse kick but was blocked, and his copy trying to elbow him in the face, which was also blocked, followed by other variations of punches and kicks. Then the two figures appeared, charging towards each other and grabbed each other's arms, using sheer force to see who will push back the other. After several seconds of futile attempts, Goku delivered a knee attack on the copy's chest, while Goku's copy made a full circle once to the left before he sent a high kick on Goku's face, but was immediately retaliated with a kick of his own, sending two figures spinning sideways a good distance. Then they immediately took the position and cupper their hands, ready to deliver a signature energy attack.

"KaaaMeee… HaaaMeee… " Goku and his copy chanted simultaneously, their hands glowing with signature blue and white rays.

"HAAAAAAAA!" They unleashed the attack on each other. The two beams collided and a powerful aftershock of two beams sent strong winds in all directions. Goku and his copy were on a stalemate after they made fruitless attempts to overpower one another after full minute. Soon enough the beams cancelled each other out and they exploded, sending stronger winds in all directions and sent the two fighters tumbling back. Goku's copy returned to his body and he was once again a single person, but he was drained after that intense beam struggle. He tried to stand up, but he soon plopped on his back, staring at the sky with a typical smile on his face.

"Phew, that was intense. But I still have a lot of work to do, though I really need to watch that I don't destroy my surroundings." Goku chuckled light-heartedly. Soon enough he was slowly standing up back on his feet.

"Alright, round two!" Goku frowned in determination, disappearing from sight as he continued his training session at intense speed.

* * *

Meanwhile, the two mermaids also called for Rina to help them out in finding the baby's parents. She too was astonished that a little baby like that could get lost and appear out of nowhere in their hotel. They spent more than an hour around the neighborhood to find its parents, but they had no success. After that, they went back to the hotel in Lucia's room, so they could figure out their next course of action.

"Man, this is impossible, there is no way that no one is looking for her." Rina frowned slightly, sitting on her chair.

"Don't tell me that someone abandoned the little baby." Hanon frowned sadly, finding the very thought extremely cruel. It even made Hippo cry.

"How cruel, an abandoned baby!" Hippo whined. The three mermaids sweat-dropped from his reaction to the question, but then again he is not without his gentle side.

"Don't cry Hippo, we don't even know if that's the case." Lucia said.

"Either waY, we need to find her parents as soon as possible. Have you guys called the police yet?" Rina said.

"No, we haven't, but we did call for Nicole and she said to take care of the baby until they come back." Hippo said. Hanon and Rina went slightly blue at the notion of playing babysitter, so they both needed to get out of there immediately.

"Sorry Lucia, I remembered that I need to attend to Taro's recital, so you will have to take care of the baby without me, I hope you don't mind." Hanon said nervously, slowly stepping back towards the door.

"Yeah, and I really have to get back home, cause I need to catch on the comedy show on TV. Bye." Rina said, immediately departing outside, with Hanon following soon afterwards.

"What, are you kidding?! You can't just walk out of here and leave me alone like this!" Lucia complained childishly. Moments later she glanced towards Hippo who was the only one present in the room. Hippo winced in slight panic.

"Yeah, Nicole also said I have to help her carry the groceries back to the hotel, soo… Bye!" Hippo sprinted away from the room, making Lucia sweat-drop and narrow her eyes in annoyance.

"Hippo, not you too." Lucia said in slight sad frown, startled that she doesn't even know what to do with a little infant. She sighed in disappointment that her friends ran away to avoid the babysitting duties, it's not like she knew everything there is to know about babies. But the cute infant started to giggle cutely, reaching her tiny hands towards Lucia's face.

"You are trying to cheer me up, are you? Ah well, I guess you will be spending time with auntie Lucia until we find your parents." She smiled, tilting the baby in the air in playful manner, laughing with the baby who was giggling loudly in pure enjoyment.

* * *

Meanwhile, Nicole and Madame Taki were buying groceries in the supermarket, though Nicole was starting to get concerned for Lucia, but Madame Taki was not worried in the slightest.

"Well, we may have held up a little with shopping, but I don't think the baby arrived yet at the hotel." Taki said. Even now, Nicole found it strange that Taki was so dreadfully calm during this entire charade.

"Can Lucia and the others actually deal with the situation?" Nicole asked worryingly.

"Consider that as a pleasant experience for those three." Taki smiled casually, but it didn't ease Nicole's nerves.

"Yeah, but it's not easy at all to take care of a small baby." Nicole said.

"In any case, Lucia is a princess, I doubt the task will be too much for her to handle." Taki smiled casually. Nicole was slightly relieved, but she was still worried as she knew well of the overbearing responsibilities when it comes to babysitting an infant, be it a human or a mermaid.

Elsewhere, Goku was riding his Flying Nimbus in the direction of the Pearl Hotel above the sea. After the training, he decided to go to a restaurant to get some delicious grilled meat, since he wasn't so good at a stove. But on his way, ne noticed a familiar hotel to his left.

"Huh, isn't that where Lucia is living?" Goku asked himself with innoncent expression before he smiled. "I might as well say hi before I move on." He said, turning his cloud in the direction of the hotel.

At the same time, Lucia went outside of the hotel with a baby in her arms, smiling cheerfully as she looked towards the sea.

"Look, isn't it beautiful?" Lucia smiled.

" _The time finally came to be alone with you, Miss Lucia."_ A voice suddenly echoed from out of nowhere. Lucia curiously looked left and right, trying to locate the source of the voice, but no one was nearby.

"That was strange." Lucia said with blank expression before she smiled again, returning her attention to the baby. "That is called ocean, it's one of my favorite places. Just between us, I have a vast number of friends waiting for me out there and one day I will return to the sea to see them again." Lucia smiled, referring to her kingdom and her people in North Pacific in subtle way. But before she continued, she heard a familiar humming noise coming from above her, approaching fast. Lucia smiled as it was Goku on his Nimbus flying in her direction.

"Hey! Goku!" Lucia called for him cheerfully. The little baby's eyes were wide in amazement at seeing a man riding on a cloud.

"Hi Lucia!" Goku waved back, smiling brightly as he descended towards Lucia, leaping from the cloud and landing gracefully with a typical goofy grin.

"What are you doing here?" Lucia smiled.

"Well, I was on my way to grab something to eat after training, but I was passing by and I saw you outside, so I went to say hello." Goku smiled. "What are you doing here all alone?" He asked curiously.

"I was just playing with this little baby, we found her in the hotel and now we search for her parents, so I'm taking care of her until then." Lucia smiled, gently gripping the baby in her arms to show to Goku.

"That's a baby? Wow, it's so tiny." Goku smiled, leaning his face closer to the baby and gently poking her with his finger. "Hey there little guy, my name is Goku." He said cheerfully. But suddenly the baby frowned at Goku, which made him look at her with an innocent expression, confusing Lucia a little.

"What's wrong?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Is it me or is this baby frowning at me?" He asked light-heartedly.

"Don't be silly Goku, that's impossible." Lucia giggled.

"Yeah, probably." Goku smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. He and Lucia laughed together, but for some reason it made the baby cry. Lucia tilted the baby left and right to calm her down.

"What's wrong, little fella? She must be hungry." Lucia said before she glanced towards Goku. "Goku, can you please give the baby some milk?" She asked. Goku merely blinked a few times with blank expression.

"Milk? I don't have any, but I could sure use some, cause I'm starving." Goku smiled brightly, rubbing his stomach in delight. Lucia pouted from his immature answer.

"Goku, I'm serious, help me calm her down. Look, I promise I will feed you when we get to the hotel after we feed the baby." Lucia frowned slightly. Goku smiled brightly at the suggestion.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Goku said excitedly, scooping her up and flying towards the hotel on his cloud. Lucia was caught off guard a bit, but she couldn't help but giggle by his reaction.

" _All this time and I can still bribe him with food."_ Lucia smiled at the thought as they were flying. Goku has always been so childish, yet so adorable and that's one of many reasons she fell in love with him in the first place. Now she has two babies to feed, she even giggled at the thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, Nicole and Taki were still sightseeing in the city, having a drink in the restaurant. Taki was still perfectly calm about Lucia and the baby, while Nicole was still worried that it was too great of a task for Lucia, since she was too young for it.

"Are you sure that we need to be away for this long?" Nicole asked.

"Come now Nicole, it's not like we are going out often like this, so let's enjoy ourselves." Taki smiled.

"I agree, but I'm still concerned. Besides, I have a lot of work waiting for me, so let's hurry up a bit." Nicole asked. Taki was willing to come back, but she wanted to take her sweet time before she does.

Back at the hotel, while Lucia was feeding the baby at the couch outside, Goku was given a massive plate filled to the brim with food to gorge on, since more groceries will be brought by Nicole and Madame Taki. It didn't take Goku long to eat everything on the spot. It wasn't near the amount of food that he eats, but he is satisfied for the time being.

"Man that hit the spot!" Goku said cheerfully. Lucia glanced towards him.

"So, are you full now? Sorry I didn't have more food to give you, my sister went to buy more in the city." Lucia smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm good." Goku smiled, sitting on the chair across Lucia.

"Look how this little baby is squeezing the bottle with her tiny arms. Can you believe in this miracle of life? It's truly incredible." Lucia smiled brightly while feeding the baby.

"Yeah, it would seem so." Goku said simply.

"Do you like babies Goku?" Lucia smiled casually. Goku looked up with innocent expression in thought.

"Well yeah, I guess." Goku answered honestly, scratching his chin.

"So you do? In that case, I think I will have your baby." Lucia said proudly, but not realizing entirely the meaning of those words. That statement went way over Goku's head as he took the information with no clarity at all.

"What do you mean?" Goku asked innocently.

"I would love to have a baby with you, Goku." Lucia blushed at the thought. Even though she meant what she said, she was completely oblivious of the baby making process. And the same applies for Goku as he still couldn't understand what she meant by that.

"Does that mean you are going to keep that baby?" Goku asked, pointing at the infant in Lucia's arms.

"No, that's not what I meant." Lucia's eyes went slightly wide in surprise.

"Then what did you mean by having a baby with me?" Goku asked curiously.

"Well, i… umm..." She stopped when she realized what she had no answer to his question. Now she felt stupid about this whole topic. She truly meant when she said she wanted Goku's baby, but she had no idea of where babies come from or the process of the baby-making. But Goku was still looking at her innocently, blinking a few times and waiting for her answer. In the end, she dropped the subject and decided to ask Hanon and Rina later.

"Never mind." She said simply. Goku merely shrugged as he stood up and sat on sofa next to her, stretching his muscled arms wide.

"Well, I think I'll take a nap, all that training and the food I ate made me a little sleepy." Goku yawned, rubbing his right eye. Lucia giggled when she saw the little infant snoring silently.

"You and baby both, she is sound asleep after she was fully fed." Lucia smiled, blissfully watching the slumbering infant. "I hope we find her parents soon, they must be really worried about her. I wish we could at least know her name, so we don't just call her baby all the time, right Goku?" She smiled. After a few seconds of silence, Lucia glanced towards Goku, who was already snoring in a low sound, leaning his head on the sofa and placing his hands on his stomach.

"Goku?" Lucia called for him silently, tapping his head gently with a finger to see if he was awake, but he wasn't. "Nope, sound asleep too." Lucia smiled. She didn't want to wake him up, he looked so adorable when he was asleep like that. She also leaned her head on the sofa, since she had no other choice but to stay at the hotel with the baby and having nothing else to do at the moment.

Ten minutes later, Hippo returned, but he found the hotel seemingly empty. Then he went to the balcony to find Lucia, Goku and the infant sleeping soundly.

"Will you look at that? I rushed back home worried about the whole baby thing and they are all sound asleep." Hippo said. "Still, I wonder what's taking Nicole and Madame Taki so long. I hope nothing bad happened to them." Hippo said in a slightly worried tone.

Some time passed and Hippo too decided for a good nap and he sat next to Lucia from her right side, with a bubble floating from his nose. In those moments of blissful slumber, the baby finally awoke in slight panic.

" _Oh no, I must have conked myself to sleep. Miss Lucia?_ " The baby said in thought. She stood up on her tiny feet between Lucia and Goku. " _I can't believe she fell asleep like that."_ She frowned, turning towards Goku. _"And it's all this guy's fault, we were just fine on our own until he came along. Go on, scram! Shoo!"_ She tried to push Goku away, but he didn't even budge because of her small frame. In the end, she gave up on the idea. " _Ugh, never mind, I'm out."_ She thought, jumping down from the sofa and nimbly jumping on a high stone wall between the balcony and the beach, looking towards the sea with a disappointed frown.

" _What a shame Lucia, after all the trouble and the distance I travelled to reach you."_ She thought with an angry pout. It was no use in venting her frustrations as she nimbly flipped forward a few times before she landed gracefully, but unfortunately she plopped inside a hole in the sand, unable to get out.

" _I'm stuck, please someone help me!"_ She exclaimed inwardly, but unfortunately no one could understand her words due to being an infant.

But while the baby was fruitlessly trying to free herself, the four Dark Lovers were walking on the beach and took a day off to cleanse their minds of all the stress they had to deal with the Black Beauty Sisters. But during their walk on the beach, they were surprised to hear a wailing sound for help of a small creature nearby. Yuri was the first to notice something in front of them.

"Hey, is it me or is there something squirming in the sand? What is it?" Yuri pointed in the direction of a small creature.

"It looks to me like a human baby." Izure said.

"A baby? What is that?" Yuri asked.

"It's a newborn human." Izure explained simply.

"Oh, I understand." Yuri smiled.

"Aww, it looks so cute flailing her tiny arms like that." Eril said cheerfully.

"It looks to me like it's trying to break free." Maria added. The four then went to investigate and help the human infant.

Shortly afterwards, Lucia also woke up, rubbing her eye and yawning slightly. But as soon as she fully woke up, her face went blue as she realized that the baby was gone. She gasped loudly as she frantically looked around to find her, but with no luck.

"On no! Goku, wake up! Wake up, we are in big trouble!" Lucia exclaimed, shaking Goku to snap him out of his blissful slumber, but with no success.

"Yeah, I love fried chicken." Goku said in a low and slumbering voice, smiling. Lucia got angry, having a tick mark on her head and she slapped him in the face hard and loud as she had no time to wake him up nicely. She hated to do this, but time is of the essence.

"OOWW!" Goku yelled in pain, holding his left chin and rubbing it for the pain to subside, immediately waking up from his sleep, having a red mark on his chin.

"What was that for Lucia?! Darn it, that didn't tickle!" Goku frowned slightly, complaining childishly and getting slightly angry from her sudden assault. Lucia felt really bad that she slapped him that hard, but the baby has disappeared and who knows what might happen to her.

"I'm sorry Goku, but the baby is on the loose, she is gone!" Lucia frowned sadly, desperately wanting to immediately find her.

"What?!" Goku's eyes went wide in shock.

"Please Goku, we need to find her fast!" Lucia exclaimed in panic.

"Calm down Lucia, I'll look around the balcony while you search the other rooms." Goku said, with Lucia immediately nodding and heading to other rooms.

Little did they know that the four water demons were trying to help the baby nearby, but they had little to no knowledge to deal with this kind of situation. Eril approached and picked the baby up from the sand.

"Hey there little guy, you love to play in the sand and you got stuck, right?" Eril smiled. The infant was dreadfully scared as she had no idea who they were, breaking in tears at the sight of these four strangers. Izure and Yuri flailed their arms in panic in comedic fashion as they had never dealt with a human baby crying loudly before.

"Do something Eril." Maria said in slight fright of a screaming infant.

"Don't worry, I will take care of this." Eril said cheerfully before her head was starting to spin in a blur to reveal her menacing persona. "Boo!" She said. The baby stopped crying, but her eyes were wide in terror at the sight of this scary lady.

" _Who are these people? They are definitely not human, what am I going to do?"_ The baby thought, scared to the core as she was now helpless in the hands of these four strangers.

"Look, she stopped crying, I think it worked." Eril smiled, pleased with the success. Or so she thought as the baby continued to cry even louder.

"Eril, you only managed to scare her even more with your horror show." Izure frowned. Eril narrowed her eyes at Izure, resenting that remark before she returned her attention to the wailing infant.

"I don't understand, I thought she liked it." Eril said in disappointment.

"Give me the human baby, I'll take care of it." Yuri said, holding the crying infant in her arms and tilting her slightly. "There there, little baby, go to sleep, go to… oh boy, I think I'm getting sleepy now…" Yuri closed her eyes and her legs collapsed, taking a nap in a sitting position.

"Yuri, for goodness sake!" Izure exclaimed.

"It won't do us any good if you fall asleep, Yuri." Maria said before she slapped her behind her head, waking her up slightly.

"Bah, all of you are so useless, let me handle this." Izure frowned, taking the baby in her arms now. "Now, be a good girl and please stop crying." Izure smiled. But unfortunately, the infant was too scared to even calm down as she continued to cry. "That's weird, her face is a little red." She said.

"She is probably having a temperature?" Eril said.

"If so, then I can help with that." Maria said, using her powers to form an icy crown around her forehead, making the baby stop for a second, blinking a few times.

"Maria, I think you overdid it a little bit." Izure said.

"Seriously, you are going to freeze her head solid." Eril said.

"Too much, huh?" Maria said before she blew at the baby's head for the ice to disappear. The baby now started to cry and cough at the same time, catching a bit of cold after Maria's attempt to calm her down.

"Ah man, this is so difficult." Eril grabbed her head, simply unable to bear this constant wailing anymore.

"Alright then, last try." Izure frowned in determination, conjuring a water dragon from the sea. This noise caught Goku's attention, who was still searching around the balcony.

"Huh?" He said, heading towards the stone wall. He pulled himself up and leaned on his chest to find four water demons.

"Dark Lovers? What are they doing here of all places?" Goku frowned seriously. Upon closer observation, he let out a squeaking yelp of shock as his eyes bulged out and his mouth wide at the sight of those four having the baby in their arms and putting in on the head of the dragon, who was flying away in the sky. The dragon flew high up, with the baby screaming at the top of her lungs, but it only brought the belief that she liked it to the four water demons.

"It looks like the baby loves it." Izure smiled in satisfaction.

"Finally something useful from your powers." Maria said sarcastically, though Izure didn't notice it. But a few moments later as the dragon was flying high in all directions, the dragon tilted its head and it dropped the baby, falling down to its inevitable demise. Goku gasped loudly before he gritted his teeth in anger and frowned, disappearing like a blur and immediately knocking out the four Dark Lovers at incredible speed before he reappeared again, now focusing his attention to the falling baby.

"Gotcha!" Goku caught the falling baby. As soon as she landed, the four water demons fell down unconscious and disappeared, teleporting automatically back to Gaito's castle.

"Are you okay, little guy? You thought it was a roller coaster or something, didn't you?" Goku smiled, exhaling slightly because now the baby was safe. The tiny infant looked sadly at Goku, slowly starting to calm down as she knew he could be trusted.

But even though Izure was gone, her water dragon immediately attacked Goku. He was quickly on guard as he caught the dragon on sight, swinging his hand forward and firing a one-handed Kamehameha Wave instantly, vaporizing the dragon into miniature drops of rain. The baby's eyes went wide in surprise at such a spectacular attack from a mere human.

" _That was incredible, who is this human?"_ The baby thought. Then Goku relaxed and smiled brightly again at the little baby as he jumped across the stone wall back into the hotel balcony without a problem, but yet again the baby's tiny eyes went wide in amazement at his amazing skills.

"Looks like you are just fine, good thing I came on time." Goku smiled, raising the baby above his head cheerfully up and down, starting to laugh childishly. The little baby also started to laugh.

At the same time, Lucia came back inside the hotel after quickly searching her surroundings, looking down on the floor sadly. Hanon and Rina also came to help her find the little baby the moment Lucia called for them.

"I wonder where she could be, we searched everywhere. Oh please, let her be okay." She said worryingly.

"Don't worry Lucia, I'm sure we will find her." Hanon placed her hand on Lucia's shoulder to ease her nerves.

Then Lucia heard familiar laughter coming from the balcony. She was overjoyed to find Goku playing around with the baby, letting out a deep sigh of relief.

"You wanna be an airplane, little guy? Woohoo, alright!" Goku said cheerfully. The baby was laughing cutely as she was tilted left and right in Goku's arms.

"Goku!" A familiar voice called out for him. Goku turned around curiously with blank expression to find Lucia.

"Hey there Lucia, looks like I managed to find the baby." Goku smiled with a toothy grin.

"Oh thank goodness, she is completely unharmed." Lucia sighed again in relaxation, coming closer and taking the baby from Goku. Hanon, Rina smiled that everything was back in order. At the same time, Nicole and Taki have finally arrived back to the hotel, greeting the two mermaids and their little guardian.

"Well, it turns out everything went alright for Lucia." Nicole smiled.

"It must have been a relief for a coral fairy to see Lucia like this." Taki smiled.

"What? A coral fairy?" Hippo and Hanon said at the same time, surprised that the little baby was actually a coral fairy in disguise.

"Wait, aren't they the inhabitants of Lucia's kingdom?" Rina asked curiously.

"Here is the deal: The inhabitants of the North Pacific were extremely concerned for Lucia's wellbeing ever since our departure after Gaito's defeat. As you all know, she was in a very bad mood when we returned back to the hotel and the coral fairies grew ever more concerned for their princess. This one in particular came here to check on Lucia to see if she was feeling better after all this time." Taki smiled as she explained the whole ordeal.

"Well, thanks to Goku, Lucia is definitely back to her old self." Hanon smiled. Nicole then approached the glass wall, looking at Goku and Lucia playing with the baby.

"Yes. And now the coral fairies may finally lay their worries to rest." Nicole smiled.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, the Coral Fairy left the hotel, though without Goku and Lucia knowing about her true identity, they all concluded it was probably for the best. She shed her human disguise and grew slightly taller in size, sprouting antler-like wings, thought without any clothes. The coral fairy smiled as she looked towards the hotel.

"Miss Lucia, I am so glad to see you again and in high spirits after all this time. I'll be sure to tell everyone that you still think about your people and that you will come back one day. I will also tell them of that human that saved me and that he possessed incredible power." She said, having flashbacks on the moments she experienced with Lucia and Goku's brief skirmish with the Dark Lovers and vaporizing the water dragon.

"Until we meet again." She said before she dived in the sea, departing back home to Lucia's kingdom.

Meanwhile, Goku and the three mermaids were returning back to the hotel after a good snack. Hanon and Rina were sipping a bottle of juice that they bought along the way.

"Well, it's a good thing that the baby found her parents, I'm so glad everything turned out okay." Lucia smiled.

"Yeah, me too." Goku smiled. He was still confused by Lucia's statement back at the hotel, so he decided to has Hanon and Rina instead. "By the way, Lucia once told me she wanted to have a baby with me. What did she mean by that?" Goku asked bluntly, making Hanon and Rina spit the juice from their mouth, almost choking at the question.

"What?!" Hanon and Rina screamed, their eyes wide in disbelief that Lucia actually asked him that question. Lucia and Goku merely looked at them innocently in confusion.

"Whats wrong?" Lucia asked casually.

"What do you mean what's wrong?! Do you two even know where babies come from?!" Hanon exclaimed, still in disbelief that these two are so oblivious to the baby making process. Goku and Lucia merely glanced at each other in confusion before they turned back towards Hanon and Rina.

"Umm, no." Goku and Lucia said simultaneously. Hanon and Rina sweat-dropped before they fell on their backs in comedic exaggeration.

"Unbelievable, you two are completely dense. Can you please explain it to them Rina?" Hanon said, embarrassed at the very thought of explaining the prerequisites of such a thing. Rina face palmed herself in disbelief as well, knowing all too well of the process.

"This will be extremely difficult to explain." Rina said in low tone, her brain barely trying to process this out of the blue topic.

"I don't get it, why is it so hard to answer?" Lucia asked blankly. Goku remained silent as he was rather curious about it. His grandfather Gohan never mentioned this sort of thing before and he had that childish curiosity to know about it.

"We shouldn't even bother with such a thing, let love take care of itself, don't you agree?" Hanon said, looking towards Rina.

"I love the way you think Hanon." Rina smiled. But Goku and Lucia were still confused at the whole baby thing and they both wanted an answer to that question.

"But I still don't get it." Goku said innocently.

"Me neither." Lucia added. Hanon and Rina sweat-dropped and grunted in annoyance as they gave up on the subject, leaving Lucia and Goku with confused expressions still on their faces. Yet another interesting day passed, but with questions left unanswered for the pure-hearted couple.


	15. Chapter 15

~Divided Emotions~

With Panthalassa's activities growing to be frequent in recent days, especially during their last attempted assault during Taro's recital, the three mermaids have decided to take action and find Gaito's castle. Karen was already ahead of them, completely determined to save her sister, but despite her long and hard search at the bottom of the ocean, not even she had any luck. With Lucia, Hanon and Rina joining the search indirectly, they might actually find his lair and put an end to his evil schemes. Who knows, they might be able to take a fight to him and discover a weakness they could exploit. After a while had passed, the three mermaids surfaced from the depths.

"Man, we searched for hours and we still couldn't find Gaito's castle." Lucia sighed in mixture of disappointment and fatigue. What surprised Hanon and Rina the most about Lucia is her determination and seriousness towards the situation, though they had feeling there is something more to it.

"Rina, what's gotten into Lucia recently? She seems so serious, she even refused to go with Goku and the other classmates at the mountains to ski." Hanon asked.

"Well, she is probably worried for Karen and Noel, but I think she is bothered by something personal." Rina said. Lucia turned around towards the two mermaids.

"Let's search around a little more." Lucia said. Suddenly, a cold wind blew in their direction, making Lucia sneeze. It was rather strange that in recent time, the temperature was unusually low, but to make things even more surprising, the snow started to fall.

"I knew that it was cold, but this is ridiculous." Hanon said, starting to shiver from the cold as she was rubbing her hands to warm up. "Girls, lets hurry up and get home before we catch a nasty cold." Hanon said. It wouldn't be surprising considering they were in mermaid forms, with their shelled bras the only piece of clothing they had in upper body. Rina knew this as she nodded in agreement.

"Lucia, let's call it a day and return to the hotel, it's chilling out here." Rina said, starting to shake a little from the cold.

"But we can't give up, we have to keep searching so we may find a clue to…. Achoo!" Lucia sneezed loudly, making Hanon and Rina sweat-drop.

"See?" Rina said. Lucia sniffed a little before she spoke.

"Yeah, I guess so. Let's go home." Lucia smiled.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Hanon joked, making Lucia and Rina laugh slightly before they departed.

Meanwhile, Goku was training at the beach before he will go to in the mountains on a school trip. Even though it was unusually cold, it did not stop Goku from pushing his strength further. But he only stopped when he noticed that snow was starting to fall.

"Huh? Snow?" He said, lifting his hand and caught the falling snow flake, melting in his hands. "Wow, I can't believe it's snowing! Alright!" He laughed childishly, immensely happy that the snow was actually falling. But soon, strong, cold winds started to blow in his direction.

"Achoo!" He sneezed loudly. He laughed nervously, scratching his chin. "Well, guess I should call it day, I bet this whole beach will be covered in snow at this rate." He smiled before he headed back home. Besides that, he was drenched in sweat from that intense workout, so staying outside in this cold would make things worse for him.

* * *

At the same time in Gaito's castle, Izure and Yuri were sitting at the table. With Gaito being frequently absent ever since their siege in North Pacific, much to their confusion, the two Dark Lovers decided to take a break from the constant hunting and random plans.

"It looks like it's snowing outside, I'd rather not search for those stupid mermaid princesses today. But we still need to form up a plan for the future, right Yuri?" Izure said to Yuri. But all she got was silence. She then looked at Yuri curiously, who had a sad expression on her face. She had been like this for a few days and her mood was for the most part the same.

Yuri had flashbacks of all the beautiful moments she shared with her darling Hippo. She realized he was an ally to their enemy, but she didn't care about that at all. Nearly every night she would meet with Hippo at the same cottage that they first met, sharing the mutual love to one another. But one night, to their shock and surprise, Lucia, Hanon and Rina caught the two lovers together and Yuri had to flee, leaving Hippo at their mercy. Hippo was severely punished for secretly having an affair with a sworn enemy of the mermaids and he was forbidden to make any contact with Yuri. But Lucia knew better. She knew that it was true love that formed between the two and she would do anything to see his friend happy again. The night after, she did just that and she helped Hippo escape from the hotel to meet up with Yuri and run away so they could be happy together. But suddenly, Karen stopped them, reminding Hippo of his duty as the protector of the mermaids and warning them of the consequences of their folly, telling them that their happiness would mean pain and suffering to thousands of mermaids across the marine world. But Lucia refused to listen as they continued on their way to meet up with Yuri. The budding couple reunited and they were about to make their way wherever their hearts would guide them.

But, it wasn't until the other three water demons intervened, spying on Yuri due to her odd behavior. They complemented Yuri, believing that she lured Hippo so she could use him as a tool to capture the mermaids. Hippo's heart was shattered at the statement, starting to actually believe them, but it was nowhere near Yuri's intentions. She begged for him to believe that it was all a lie and that she loved him truthfully with all her heart, but they were interrupted by the three water demons assaulting the couple and Lucia, the latter who quickly came to Hippo's aid. Soon enough, Karen, Hanon and Rina came in time to help Lucia quickly dispatch their opponents, excluding Yuri.

At that point, Hippo understood that he made two mistakes this night: trying to forsake his duty as a protector for his own personal gain and for trusting Yuri in the first place. Hippo scolded Yuri for being a bad person and that she deliberately used him to get to the mermaid princesses. But before she could explain herself, he ran away after telling her that they will never see each other again. But Karen knew better as she saw through his angry façade, explaining to Lucia that Hippo lied. He didn't thought even for a second that Yuri tricked him and that he decided to end this romance so he would no longer put the mermaids in jeopardy. Karen said that it was probably for the best, for as long as their romance would thrive, bad things would follow, especially when Gaito is still waging war against the mermaids. Yuri was relieved that Hippo didn't mean what he said after hearing Karen's explanation and he merely asked them to tell Hippo that she loves him with all her heart and that it will forever be that way. Then she departed into the sea, thus ending the flashback in her mind.

"YURI!" Izure exclaimed, breaking Yuri from her pondering.

"What? You said something?" Yuri blinked a few times in confusion.

"What's wrong with you? You have been like this for a while, care to share?" Izure raised her eyebrow curiously, wanting to know what's bothering her comrade. Yuri again frowned sadly, looking down on the table.

"It's nothing Izure." Yuri said simply. Before Izure could interrogate further, Eril came with a serving cart.

"Does anyone want tea while it's warm?" Eril smiled. This made Yuri and even Izure genuinely smile.

"Yeah, excellent idea Eril." Izure smiled.

"Thank you Eril, that's just what we need, it's getting cold down here." Yuri smiled. Izure was slightly relieved that Yuri was smiling for a change.

"By the way, have you seen Maria anywhere?" Eril asked curiously.

"Well, she is stuck in the library since this morning and who knows what she is up to." Izure said.

"Reading magazines, I suppose?" Yuri said in joke, making Izure and Eril laugh slightly in mockery. The three water demons then started to blissfully drink hot cup of tea.

Meanwhile, Maria piled up two big towers of books from the massive library, trying to find a specific book that would aid her in her endeavors. But during her daydreaming of finally gaining Gaito's favor and love, the tower of books fell down on her head, with the other quickly following, literally burying her in books.

"That was inconvenient." She said in a low and annoyed tone. Then she smiled brightly as she found the book she was looking for. "Yes! There it is!" She laughed. This is an ancient book of spells used by the goddess Aurora, one of the deities who were Lillith's rivals, but who was also a matron to Panthalassa. Her power and mastery of frost magic was unequaled in her time and this book of spells was all that remained of her legacy, one of Gaito's artifacts buried in the library. But with Gaito focusing on his personal matters of great importance and attention, Maria decided to use the ancient book to her advantage. Due to her also possessing mastery over ice magic, though to a lesser degree in comparison, the use of this book will be a lot easier for her, but not without requiring full concentration and chanting the words to use the enchantments of the book. She placed her hand on the cover of the book and closed her eyes.

"Goddess Aurora, spirit of snow, mistress of ice, grant me your power and send me an icy blizzard." Maria chanted. The Book started to glow with white and blue faint glow. "Unleash your snowy wrath!" She exclaimed. A beam shot up from the book and small blizzard started to rage rapidly around the room. Its tempest also shot doors open, enveloping Eril, Izure and Yuri during their tea session.

Maria was surprised to say the least. She knew that the book was not without its kick, but the results were greatly impressive. She even went outside to check on the noise, but she found her comrades completely frozen in a large block of ice. Maria laughed menacingly at the results.

"This book is amazing! Finally my vengeance is at hand!" Maria smirked, immediately departing to the surface to exact her revenge for all the humiliation she had to endure.

* * *

The night quickly followed and Hanon and Rina were sitting in the living room of the hotel, wrapped in warm blankets and drinking hot milk, a balm to the soul on such a cold day.

"Oh yeah, that hit the spot!" Hanon smiled brightly while sipping her hot drink.

"You said it, we almost froze out there." Rina smiled.

"You two must be really careful or else you would catch more than a mere cold. Both of you know that Gaito's castle is on the move and just because you are in a hurry to find it doesn't necessarily mean that you will find it fast." Hippo warned.

"Yeah, you are right, but Lucia was very determined to find it." Hanon said. She was still surprised by her adamant behavior, she was never in such a hurry to find the lair of their enemy. She had thoughts that there is something more than that.

"Well, it's nice to see Lucia acting like a true mermaid princess." Rina smiled, proud that Lucia was taking her duties seriously for once. She sipped her drink before she spoke again. "Speaking of which, where is she?" She asked curiously.

"No idea. Last I checked she was in the kitchen." Hanon said.

"I'm out!" Lucia suddenly said, carrying a basket of food in her hand.

"Lucia, where in the world are you going at this time?" Hanon asked.

"I am going to the bus station to give Goku this food I prepared for him before they depart. I'll be back soon." Lucia smiled before she opened the door and left. Hanon and Rina were slightly taken aback from her sudden departure before they smiled to each other, understanding her intentions.

"Maybe she really wanted to go with Goku in the mountains, but she refused anyway." Rina said.

"Yeah, the least she can do for him is to serve a meal for him." Hanon said. Then the two mermaids returned to the living room to finish their hot drinks.

Meanwhile, at the bus station, almost entire class gathered at the bus. Goku, Kaito, Daichi and Kengo stood in front of the entrance.

"Man, I can't wait to ski at the mountains!" Kengo said excitedly.

"Yeah, I bet the slopes will be dangerous, I'm so excited!" Kaito said, thrilled to go.

"You are crazy man, better save that head of yours for the girls that will swoon of you as soon as we get there." Daichi joked, making the three surfers laugh out loud.

Goku on the other hand was leaning against the bus with his legs crossed and arms folded, looking at the sky in thought. He was wearing the usual boots, shirt and wristbands, along with orange pants, but he was wearing a warm coat that looked almost like the one little Suno gave him In the Penguin Village, only it was dark blue, also his hat and gloves were black. In all honesty, he didn't want to go to the mountains, he had seen plenty of those back at Mount Paozu during his childhood. He didn't really mind to go with his friends to have some fun, but he was more content to train hard and increase his strength so he would prepare himself for the upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament. Daichi and Kengo were really insistent for him to come along, so he pretty much gave up on trying to refuse them and he accepted. Though what disappointed him the most is that Lucia will not be coming along, having a flashback of that moment that he asked her the question.

" _What do you mean you are not coming Lucia?" Goku said childishly with a sad frown._

" _I'm sorry Goku but I have to stay at the hotel to help my sister." Lucia said. She really wanted so badly to go with him, but since Hanon and Rina won't go, then she has to stay as well so she would help them if they were in trouble again._

" _Too bad, I was really hoping we would have some fun in the mountains." Goku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly._

" _I'm truly sorry." Lucia frowned sadly before she smiled brightly. "But what do you say I make you a basket full of delicious meal so you can eat as if I'm there with you?" Lucia said,_

" _Sure, that sounds great!" Goku smiled cheerfully._

"Goku!" A voice suddenly called for him, breaking from his thoughts at turned towards the source of the voice with childish curiosity. It was Taro. "Goku, get in the bus, we can't wait anymore, we have to go!" He insisted. Goku sighed in disappointment that Lucia didn't come, but since he can't bail from this, he hesitantly entered the bus. Little did Goku know that Lucia was running as fast as she could to get to him in time.

"I have to hurry before it's too late." Lucia said while sprinting.

Meanwhile, at a high plateau overlooking the city, Maria stood ready to set her plans in motion with her newfound power.

"Oh yes, let's see how the mermaid princesses will fare against my ice magic when the _entire_ city is covered in snow and ice." Maria smirked maliciously before she placed her hand on the book again and concentrated. ""Goddess Aurora, spirit of snow, mistress of ice, grant me your power and send me an icy blizzard. Let snow be everywhere!" Maria exclaimed loudly, channeling her power into the book and sending a beam towards the sky, conjuring storm clouds and sending a heavy blizzard in every direction, covering the entire city in a thick snow in a record speed.

"Yes, send more snow and ice, let this entire city feel the wrath of the Dark Lover Maria!" She exclaimed evilly. But then she heard a loud beastly roar echoing in the distance. She looked blankly at the source of the distant roar in front of her.

"What was that?" She asked herself. Little did she know that such an enormous release of energy summoned an ancient evil buried within the book, awakened by the tempest of the heavy blizzard that she unleashed with the Book of the Aurora. The rigid winds were starting to take form, solidifying and slowly forming a massive ice monstrosity away from Maria's sight or knowledge. This giant elemental of ice will now go on a rampage, in search for the primary target that was in Maria's mind at the moment, a human that she resented out of the entire weakling race: Goku.

At the same time, the bus full of students was buried in snow, unable to move even an inch.

"What do you think, is it possible for us to travel in this weather?" Taro asked despite his doubt at the situation.

"I'm afraid not, the path is completely covered in snow." The bus driver said. All of the students gasped and complained, some of them whining childishly at the predicament, most notably Daichi and Kengo.

"I don't believe this, no road trip!" Kengo whined.

"There goes my love in the mountains!" Daichi also whined. Kaito was also disappointed that they won't go, but Goku had a slight serious frown on his face as he gazed through the window.

" _Something is not right. Just a minute ago, only a moderate snow was falling and all of a sudden a heavy blizzard occurred. I don't know who it is, but someone must be behind this stormy weather."_ Goku thought. As they were exiting the bus and making their way home, Goku decided to visit the Pearl Hotel and see if Lucia was still there, so he could be sure that she didn't lost herself in this blizzard. Little did he know that Lucia was already on her way to meet him at the bus, trudging through the snow as fast as she could.

"I have… to hurry. I have… to give Goku… this food." Lucia frowned, determined to make up for her promise. Ten minutes later, she saw the bus in front of her.

"There it is! I made it, the bus didn't leave yet." She smiled cheerfully, heading towards the bus. But to her surprise, there was no one inside, it was completely empty.

"What is going on, where are Goku and the others?" Lucia asked, looking around to find them. But with electricity shutting down in her neighborhood, it was difficult for her to see where she was. "The trip must have been canceled because of the storm and they all left home." She said before she frowned. "I better head back towards the hotel before the storm gets worse." Lucia said, starting to shiver a little as she again trudged through the thick snow to get back home.

* * *

Back at the Pearl Hotel, Rina started to worry for Lucia after the blizzard suddenly occurred.

"The storm is getting worse, I hope that Lucia is alright." Rina said.

"Don't worry Rina, I'm sure she will come back as soon as she gives Goku the food." Hanon said. Almost on cue, the doorbell rang. "See, what did I say?" Hanon smiled, heading towards the door with Rina.

"Man, where were you Lucia, we were…" Rina stopped when the two mermaids found not Lucia standing in front of the entrance, but Goku.

"Goku? What are you doing here?" Rina asked in surprised tone.

"What happened to the school trip?" Hanon asked, also surprised to see him.

"Well, it was cancelled because of this blizzard, the bus was completely covered in snow. Is Lucia here by any chance?" Goku asked with blank expression. Hanon and Rina were starting to be greatly worried for Lucia now.

"No, she went to give you a basket of food and she didn't come back yet." Hanon said.

"Goku, didn't you see her on the way here?!" Rina exclaimed in worry.

"No I didn't. Are you saying that Lucia got lost in this blizzard?" Goku frowned slightly, starting to grow slightly worried that this mysterious person behind this blizzard didn't get her.

At the same time, Lucia was still trudging aimlessly through the snow, using all of her willpower for her body not to succumb to the cold. Her hands holding the basket were very cold and her face and hair was covered by snow.

"Keep…. walking… must…. keep…. Walking." Lucia closed her eyes. Suddenly she tripped on something, making her fall face first into the snow. She stood up to see what it was.

"A weather vane. Wait a minute, it's impossible that this storm is that strong." Lucia said, checking her surroundings to find nothing but a city in darkness. With the city's power plant covered in snow, the city was losing electricity one section at the time, making things worse for Lucia as it only reduced her visibility in this blizzard.

"What am I going to do? I don't even know where to go. Great, I got lost in this blizzard and I am not even in the mountains." She whined childishly. But there was no use in whining, she had to continue. There is no way she would let herself be frozen like this. She had to find her way home and meet with Goku.

Back at the hotel, Goku immediately readied himself to search for Lucia in this storm, using a pair of tennis rackets for his feet as an improvisation so he could easily walk in this snow.

"Are you seriously going to search for Lucia on foot in this storm? Can't you just use your magical cloud to search for her faster?" Hanon frowned slightly in worried tone.

"I'm afraid I can't Hanon, this heavy blizzard makes it impossible for me to call for Flying Nimbus. And even if I did manage to call for him, flying through these strong winds would be very difficult." Goku frowned slightly.

"But it's crazy to go out there all alone in this weather Goku. What if you were to be buried in the snow?" Rina frowned slightly.

"That won't happen, I promise that I will find Lucia and bring her back home." Goku reassured, giving the two mermaids a thumbs up and a signature grin before he turned his back towards them. "Besides, I owe this to Lucia. She went through all the trouble of going through this storm just so she could give me her delicious food. That's why I _have_ to find her no matter what." He said, bidding farewell and running towards the unknown at fast speed, leaving Hanon and Rina with dumbfounded expressions.

"Wow, that's fast." Hanon said with eyes wide in slight shock.

"I'll say." Rina replied. This was nothing compared to what he did in the battle against Gaito, but they were still trying to grasp the fact that Goku was not an ordinary human.

"Well, things will be alright now that we know Goku left to find her." Hippo said. He suddenly got the chills from the cold wind, shuddering for a second. "Man, its cold, I think I will ready a hot bath."

"What are you talking about Hippo? We are going to search for her as well." Rina frowned.

"You are a penguin Hippo, this kind of weather should be your specialty." Hanon said, kicking Hippo in the snow, making him fall face first into the snow. Hanon and Rina were laughing as they pulled Hippo from the snow by his legs.

"So what if I am a penguin?! I don't tolerate cold and that's that!" Hippo said angrily.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about Hippo." Rina said.

"Sorry." Hippo sweat-dropped. Soon enough, Hippo put on his own winter clothes and went in search with the two mermaids for Lucia.

Unfortunately for Lucia, her arms and legs were completely numb, preventing her to move any further and freezing her in place.

"Where am I? I can't feel my body, I can't even… move." Lucia said in low and weak tone, starting to succumb to the relentless cold winds and falling down on her stomach on the snow, with a few tears forming in her eyes in desperation.

"Goku." She said before she lost consciousness. Her strength and will was completely drained as she struggled with all her might to survive, but it all seemed hopeless. She was stranded in the middle of nowhere with no one to save her, the blizzard slowly covering her frozen body in snow, her life force slowly diminishing with each passing minute. If she is not rescued soon, then she will die of frostbite. But in the shadows of the blizzard, a giant silhouette was passing by with a beastly roar, its destination unknown, though Lucia was fortunate enough not to be stomped by this massive creature.

Fortunately, Goku ran as fast as he could through the blizzard, frantically trying to find Lucia. Having experienced the merciless cold as a child back then on his quest to save the village chief from the Muscle Tower, he had to find Lucia as soon as possible before the cold overcomes her.

"Lucia! Where are you?! Lucia!" Goku called out loudly, but there was no answer. He stopped and looked around, trying to sense her energy, but she wasn't even close to his location.

"Come on Lucia, where are you? Darn, she's gotta be around here somewhere." Goku frowned, looking around left and right. "I doubt she has much time, I need to find her fast." He said to himself out loud, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

Then he felt a heavy stomp coming from his right.

" _What was that?"_ Goku frowned in thought, now on guard. He then felt another stomp. _"Whatever it is, its huge and getting close."_ He thought. Then he looked up in shock as he found a giant ice monster standing above who appeared out of nowhere.

"Whoah, this thing is enormous! And he doesn't look too friendly." Goku frowned, removing the tennis rackets from his feet and taking his fighting position. The monster stood still for a few seconds before he slowly raised his clenched fist and tried to strike at Goku, but he nimbly dodged the attack. Then the monster sent stronger winds at him, but Goku tried to resist the cold winds that were slowly starting to envelop him. He gritted his teeth as he went on the offensive, running fast and jumping high in the air. He then threw a flurry of punches on the monster's face and his upper body, cracks spreading with every consecutive punch before he sent a hard kick straight through the monster, shattering the entire upper section of his body into small shards. Goku landed gracefully before he smirked confidently.

"There, that should do it." He said. But his smirk was gone as the winds formed around the monster, regenerating his upper body completely. The monster then turned towards Goku, ready to strike.

" _Great, it looks like this monster is like the one I fought in the maze when I searched for the Ultra Divine Water. There is no way this creature came from the maze, it's far to the north."_ Goku thought, recalling his futile fight against the ice monster when he searched the Ultra Divine Water with Yajirobe three years ago. Then the monster tried to backhand Goku with a large swipe, but Goku once again dodged the attack. This time the monster used his right hand to punch Goku hard, but he managed to block the attack by raising his hands in front of his face in defense. Goku immediately propelled from the ground at the giant creature, sending a power punch that shattered the incoming left jab from the ice monster, shattering it into little pieces, landing gracefully afterwards. But the monster's arm regenerated after the attack, making this fight dreadfully futile.

"I don't have time for this, I need to find Lucia fast, every second is vital." Goku frowned angrily, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. "Alright then, if I can't beat him with punches and kicks, then I will have to blast him instead." He said decisively, cupping his hands in front of him and charging up his signature attack.

"Kaaaa…. Meeee…. Haaaa…. Meeee…." He chanted the attack, his hands glowing with blue and white rays. But while Goku was charging the attack, the monster reached out his massive hand to try and crush Goku, but it was too late.

"HAAAAAAAA!" Goku unleashed his energy attack, completely engulfing the elemental monster and obliterating it completely, sending a powerful explosion. After the smoke of the explosion quickly cleared, all that remained of the elemental was his icy feet. Goku sighed slightly.

"That ought to do it." Goku said before he frowned to the left. "Now no time to waste, off to find Lucia." He said. But as he was about to leave, the strong winds again formed around the feet, slowly reforming the elemental giant back to its previous shape and strength. Goku growled loudly.

"Great, back for round two." Goku said angrily. "Okay, I'll try again, but this time full power!" He clenched his fist in front of him before he once again cupped his hands. But before he could charge his attack, the elemental giant seeped his hands in the snow and conjured ten small icy humanoid creatures surrounding Goku. He clenched his hands on his sides.

"You gotta be kidding?!" He gritted his teeth as he prepared to fight this seemingly one sided battle. His anger was rising as these cubes of ice were only postponing his search and reducing Lucia's chances for survival. He needs to think of something fast or Lucia will be no more. No, he can't give in to those thoughts, not until he finds her himself and make sure she is safe.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hanon and Rina were also searching for Lucia, with Hippo acting as a steed comically pulling the two mermaids on the sleigh as fast as his little penguin body was able.

"You are doing great Hippo!" Hanon supported.

"You can do it Hippo!" Rina also supported, but Hippo was not convinced.

"I think this is called animal abuse!" Hippo complained. But something caught Rina's attention.

"What is that?" Rina said, pointing at the plateau above her. Hanon followed her gaze to notice a white beam channeled towards the sky, a faint aura surrounding the book and its user. The two mermaids recognized the only person capable of handling the ice magic: The Dark Lover Maria.

"Yes, come forth blizzard and ice, consume this entire area till there is nothing left!" Maria exclaimed, continuing to channel her power through the book and using its enchantments to boost her own strength.

"Look, it's that water demon Maria." Hanon frowned.

"So, she is responsible for this sudden weather. Let's do it Hanon." Rina frowned.

"Right." Hanon nodded. Without further ado, they started to assume their Idol Forms.

"Voice of the Blue Pearl!" Hanon exclaimed.

"Voice of the Green Pearl!" Rina exclaimed.

After their transformation was done, they immediately departed to face Maria.

"Stop that right now!" Rina exclaimed, breaking Maria's concentration and cancelling the beam from the book. The blizzard enveloping the city also dissipated, revealing the clear starry sky.

At the same time, the ten icy automatons were about to charge at Goku, but all of a sudden, the storm dissipated, making Goku look up in surprise.

"What? The storm has passed. Alright!" He smiled brightly with a toothy grin. "This will now make things a lot easier for me." He then smirked, ready to finish the fight. He disappeared before he charged at one automaton.

"Hammer time!" He exclaimed with a battle-ready determination as he sent a flying kick onto one small elemental into bits. The second one leaped behind Goku, but he sent a left elbow straight into its chest and shattering it as well. Third and fourth elementals charged at him from the sides, but he caught their heads and slammed them together, shattering their heads before he delivered a right roundhouse kick, shattering the rest of their bodies in one strike. The fifth one tried to claw him, but he side-stepped and cupped his hands, slamming onto its back and also shattering it into bits. The sixth one charged next, but he nimbly delivered a spinning hook kick, but he didn't shatter it as he caught it by the legs and used its body as a baseball bat to slam it onto the seventh one to the left and the eighth one to the right, shattering them both before he slammed the elemental he used onto the ground, followed by a power punch straight into its chest, the force of the punch enough to shatter it completely. The ninth and tenth elementals were the last ones to deal with. The two shards combined their might, making a circular formation between their hands and fired a big ice ball at Goku, but Goku countered it with a one handed Kamehameha Wave, the energy attack going straight through the elemental's attack and shattering them both in the process.

After the dust cleared, there was only one thing left to do: to finish the battle that giant monster started. The giant cupped its hands and tried to crush Goku, but he nimbly jumped behind the monster and gracefully landed. He then frowned seriously.

"Okay, this has gone on long enough, I need to end this _now_!" Goku frowned in determination, cupping his hands together and ready to finish this fight for good.

About a minute earlier during Goku's fight, the two mermaids confronted the water demon.

"How dare you freeze this peaceful city, you evil witch?!" Hanon exclaimed defiantly.

"Be a good girl and go back to the depths of the sea where you belong." Rina threatened, though Maria was not fazed.

"Well well well, look what we have here. Two mermaid princesses. I have been expecting you." Maria smirked menacingly. "Do you really think you are in the position to be giving me orders? You have no idea what you are dealing with today." She said, once again channeling the power of the Book of the Aurora to fight the two mermaids.

"Goddess Aurora, spirit of snow, mistress of ice, grant me your power." Maria chanted, with the book once again emanating an eerie glow. "Turn these two mermaids into snowmaids!" She exclaimed. But with the lack of skill of using the book effectively, the spell backfired on her as rain of snowmen fell down on her as well, though fortunately she managed to dodge them before she could be trapped in one of them.

"Well, that was a surprise." Maria sighed in relief. Then she noticed two snowmen on the spot where the two mermaids were. She laughed arrogantly as she believed that her spell worked, carelessly discarding the book on a snowman to gloat at the two seemingly captured mermaids. But Hippo sneaked in behind Maria to find a strange book.

" _Hmm, this book must be the source of her frost powers."_ He thought _. "Then I'll just take it and walk away."_ He nonchalantly took it before he departed. _"I'm out."_

"How about it mermaid princesses? Maybe you should sing so you may break out of there." Maria poked at the snowman, believing that she actually succeeded. But to Hanon's and Rina's amusement, she failed.

"If you really want us to sing for you…" Rina stopped for Hanon to continue.

"… then we will happily oblige." Hanon said. At that moment Maria realized that her spell failed.

"Sorry to disappoint you but..." Rina stopped mid-sentence again.

"… you are too clumsy for your own good." Hanon finished.

"Ahh, damn it!" Maria threw a temper tantrum for a second, having a tick mark on her head before she calmed down. "Alright then, you managed to dodge my attack, but you won't be so lucky next time. I am not the same Maria as I was before." She boldly declared.

"Oh really? And pray tell how exactly?" Hanon taunted, the situation not as serious as it was a minute ago.

"Because I have this book of spells." Maria extended her hand in the air, but to her misfortune and the mermaid's annoyance and slight amusement, her book was gone. She frantically looked around for but it was gone, not knowing that Hippo used it as a campfire to warm himself up.

"Oh yeah, I feel much warmer now." Hippo smiled.

At the same time, Goku was charging his signature attack to finish the fight.

"Kaaa…. Meee…. Haaa…. Meee…."

"HAAAAAAA!" He unleashed the blast straight onto the monster, completely disintegrating it this time. After the smoke cleared, he realized that the monster was no more.

"Darn it, I wasted too much time, I need to find Lucia fast!" He frowned seriously before he smiled. "And now that the sky is clear…" He looked towards the sky. "FLYING NIMBUS!" He called for his faithful cloud, immediately jumping on it as soon as it descended and flying at fast speed to find Lucia.

Back to Hanon and Rina.

"Nooo, my precious book of spells is gone!" Maria whined childishly. As amusing as this is, Hanon and Rina had enough of this comedy show. They have a best friend in need of their help and they need to wrap this up.

"Live for you, mermaid voice!" Hanon and Rina said simultaneously.

I watch the color of sky  
it fits him rather well,  
Some feelings are awakening.

Now i know that anything is possible.

The stars will guide me,  
The wind will listen to all,  
boldly across the sea,  
where the dawn is sleeping,  
All dreamily  
A warm hug that never ceases.

I believe that happiness is  
For all of us, that everyone deserves  
Now the fate is working for us  
Flying boldly at the right time.

Now again i remember everything  
Now i see things i haven't before  
I have the might, now i know  
I have the strength to give you a whole world.

For my dreams are java right now  
All my wishes have become true  
When i have you, it's easy  
I live a life sweet like from fairytale

And all because of you!

"Loving power of the mermaids!" The two mermaids exclaimed simultaneously as they pointed at the water demon, signifying their finishing move.

"How about an encore?" They said simultaneously. Maria growled at her yet another defeat.

"Curse you mermaid princesses!" Maria exclaimed, retreating back to Gaito's castle.

* * *

At the same time, Goku was frantically looking left and right, determined to find Lucia. But so far there was no trace of Lucia. He stopped his nimbus from flying further and he hovered above the ground.

" _Where could she be? It's impossible that she disappeared like that."_ he frowned seriously before he inhaled and exhaled slightly in preparation. _"Alright Goku, time to put your energy sensing to the test. If I concentrate hard enough, I know I can find her."_ He closed his eyes and concentrated on Lucia's energy. After about twenty seconds passed, his eyes shot wide in shock as he sensed a very weak energy signal that is slowly withering away. It was very, very weak but it was definitely Lucia's energy that was fading.

"There, to the left. Hang on Lucia, I'm coming!" Goku exclaimed, immediately darting in the direction of Lucia's energy signal. As soon as he reached the location, he jumped off of the cloud and onto the snow. As he was getting near, he saw a faint pink glow beneath the snow and a low humming noise following it.

" _What is that glow? Whatever it is, i can feel Lucia's energy near that unknown power."_ Goku thought. But he didn't bother to ponder on it even for a second as he quickly dug through the snow. Since he was plowing the entire fields during Master Roshi's training, digging through the snow was nothing for Goku. He gasped slightly as he found unconscious Lucia. The pendant's glow faded when he found her. At least he solved where that mysterious power was emanating from, but what intrigued him about that pendant is that the purple-haired girl from the barbecue that he encountered had the pendant with exact same shape, but only hers was purple and was slightly more powerful. Could Lucia have some connection to that girl? Whatever it is, it will have to wait, Lucia needs help.

"Lucia, are you alright? Wake up! It's me, Goku!" He exclaimed, shaking her slightly to wake her up, but it was no use. He used his face to check on Lucia, but he immediately backed away after he felt intense cold.

" _It's no use, her body is completely frozen. She was exposed to the cold for too long. And to make things worse, what's left of her energy is slowly dissipating."_ He thought, gritting his teeth in desperation. He checked his surroundings to see if there was somewhere he could take her. _"Not good, if I don't do something right now, then Lucia will die. No, I won't allow it."_ Goku frowned, putting Lucia's frozen body down and quickly forming up a plan.

"Hang in there Lucia, just a little longer." Goku said, reassuring himself that she will be fine. With no time to waste, he quickly dug through the snow and made a hole big enough for two of them to fit in, enough of a shelter to shield them from the cold wind.

"There. That ought to do it." Goku said. He quickly picked up unconscious Lucia and went inside together. He was rather surprised at how much snow accumulated by that blizzard, but fortunately it was enough for him to form a makeshift shelter for the night and save Lucia's life. He sat down and leaned his back onto the wall with Lucia lying on his lap. He rubbed her hands to warm her up.

"Come on Lucia, please, wake up." Goku pleaded, but it was still pointless. Lucia's body was shaking uncontrollably. At least there was a slim hope that she will pull through, but it wasn't enough.

" _I don't get it, she should have at least regained consciousness, why isn't this working?"_ Goku frowned in thought. _"Come on Goku, use your head. There has to be a way to warm her up quickly._ " He thought. He could use his energy to warm her up, but he didn't perfect it so he was afraid that it would have an opposite effect on Lucia. Then an idea popped in his head. He removed his coat and wrapped it around Lucia and placed his hat on her head. Then he hugged her so she wouldn't be exposed to the winds outside and rubbed her hands for extra measure.

"This has to work. If it doesn't, then I dunno what else I can do." Goku frowned. Now the only thing he can do is hope. A few minutes passed and Lucia was still unconscious, but he could feel Lucia's energy stabilizing, relieved that things might turn out okay after all.

"Goku?" Lucia suddenly whispered in his ear, finally regaining consciousness and slowly opening her eyes. Goku gave her the brightest smile as he laughed cheerfully. His heart soared with immense happiness that she was alright.

"Alright, you made it! Man, you had me worried there for a second. Are you okay?" He smiled cheerfully. Lucia smiled gently as she leaned her head between Goku's left chest and shoulder. Yup, that's her Goku alright. She knew he would come to rescue her.

"I'm fine Goku, now that I'm with you I am no longer feeling cold. I always feel warm when I'm with you. You truly have a warm and gentle heart, I can't thank you enough for saving me." Lucia smiled, blissfully snuggling onto Goku's chest. Goku let out a muffled laugh, immensely glad that she was alive and well, her energy returning to normal.

"I'm just happy you are okay Lucia. Everyone has been worried about you." Goku smiled.

"I'm sorry that I didn't bring you food at the bus station." Lucia said in a still low and recuperating tone. Goku's stomach growled at that moment, making Lucia giggle slightly at the mention of food. Goku laughed nervously while scratching his chin.

"Well, I guess I got a little hungry after all that running." Goku laughed childishly, with Lucia letting out a weak laughter. She didn't recover completely, all she could do for now is rest on Goku's chest, which she didn't mind at all.

"Well, it's probably for the best if we stay here for the night. After you have recovered completely, we can head back to the hotel." Goku smiled.

"Sounds like a plan." Lucia said simply, slowly drifting into a deep and blissful slumber in Goku's embrace. Goku moved slightly so he could lean in sleeping position, wrapping his big coat around him and Lucia like a sleeping bag and conked out as well. At the moment, he was more sleepy then hungry and he decided to skip the dinner for Lucia's sake. He didn't want to leave her in this cold night, not before he knew for certain that she would be alright.

The next day, a bright sun illuminated the blue sky. The first of the couple to awaken was Lucia, interrupted by the intense sun rays illuminating the young couple.

"Goku?" Lucia turned towards him, who was blissfully snoring silently like a baby and whistling in a low tone afterwards. Lucia's heart soared by his noble deed.

"He is so sweet, he kept me warm all night." She smiled, closing her eyes in appreciation. " Thank you Goku, I was warm the entire time." She smiled. Then she slowly leaned closer and closer towards his face to kiss him. But as their lips were about to make contact, Goku slowly started to wake up, rubbing his right eye. Lucia pouted disappointingly by his sudden awakening, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Good morning Goku." She smiled.

"Where's breakfast? I'm hungry." He said groggily before he yawned loudly. Lucia merely giggled in response. She didn't care how childish he can be, he proved last night that he really cared about her and that's what matters to her.

"Well, sleepy head, if you want breakfast, we can go back to the hotel and eat." Lucia teased.

"Awesome, that sounds great!" He smiled cheerfully. Then he got chills down his entire body. Lucia noticed this.

"Here's your coat back, you don't want to catch a nasty cold or something." She smiled, taking off Goku's coat and handing it over to him.

"Achoo!" Goku sneezed, sniffing his nose. "Little late for that." He joked, making Lucia laugh. Goku also laughed slightly before he took the coat and put it on, but he let Lucia keep his hat.

But when Lucia got out of their little makeshift shelter, suddenly the snow above the shelter collapsed due to the bright sunlight, burying Goku inside the pile of snow. Goku comically popped his head out of the snow. Seeing Goku in that state made Lucia break in a fit of laughter. Goku smirked as he scooped up a fistful of snow and formed it into a ball, throwing it into Lucia's face, much to her surprise. This time it was Goku who was laughing out loud childishly, grabbing his stomach with his left hand and pointing at Lucia with the right, rolling on the snow. Lucia slowly wiped the snow from her face and pouted angrily at Goku, which made him stop laughing and yelping slightly in panic, thinking that he angered her with his childish antic. But moments later, she smirked as she scooped the snow and threw a snowball at him, which made both of them laugh childishly, making Goku run away.

"Get back here, you meanie!" Lucia exclaimed cheerfully.

"Not today!" Goku said playfully, laughing as he continued to run. He managed to reach some trees and hid behind them so Lucia couldn't hit her. They continued to playfully throw snowballs at each other before Goku stood hidden behind a tree for a few moments. He leaned it to throw another snowball, but Lucia was gone. He was looking around to find her for a few seconds. He smiled as he sensed her energy behind him, but he deliberately let her sneak behind him.

"Gotcha!" Lucia leaped behind him, making Goku turn towards her and both of them falling down on the snow, with their faces close to each other, but they were both caught up in childish fits of laughter to notice. Then after they both calmed down, Lucia suddenly gazed lovingly at Goku. He smiled too, but seeing the strange look on her face made him raise his eyebrow in confusion.

"Uhh, Lucia?" Goku said. But Lucia continued to smile as she was entranced by his pair of beautiful onyx eyes fixed innocently at her brown-orange eyes. Goku was now paralyzed by her as he remembered that look that was now present on Lucia's face. It was the same look that the mermaid from the aquarium gave him a while back before she kissed him. It was also a similar look that she had back at the haunted mansion. But this time, he was not nervous as he was before. He was experiencing that sensation that makes him slowly get closer and closer to her lips like a powerful magnet.

As for Lucia, her heart sored to the heavens and her mind was now cleared of all the troubles of this world and only one thought was in her mind, a love of her life named Goku. She thought that she couldn't fall even more in love with this goofball then she already was, but yet again she was proven wrong. She was simply touched how Goku tirelessly searched for her through that heavy blizzard despite of the dangers of looking for her alone. Even so, he is really like an open book. His eyes are brimming with innocence, yet there was also a genuine concern, which was the reason why she was at the moment completely taken in by the desire to kiss Goku on the spot, slowly leaning closer.

Their lips were only inches away from making contact, until suddenly a patch of snow dropped from the tree above them straight onto Lucia's head, making Goku snap from that sudden trance that overcame him, along with Lucia. Now Goku broke into another fit of laughter, but Lucia shook the snow from her head and pouted angrily from that stupid snow for yet again botching up the attempted kiss.

"Stop laughing Goku or you will eat snow instead!" Lucia said in fake anger, stuffing every handful of snow in Goku's face.

"Okay okay, I'm sorry." Goku laughed slightly. Then Lucia got off of him and stood up, with Goku standing up afterwards, wiping off the snow from his face.

"Well, we better go, I'm starting to get hungry too." Lucia said, rubbing her stomach.

"Sure, let's go." Goku smiled brightly, eager to stuff his face as soon as possible.

* * *

Lucia kept holding onto Goku's hand for the entire time they went back home. He still couldn't understand why she is so insistent on holding his hand and clinging onto him, but he couldn't say anything to her as she had that bright and sweet smile on her face. Soon enough, they reached the hotel, with Hanon and Rina waiting at the entrance.

"Lucia!" The two mermaids exclaimed, relieved that Lucia and Goku were well. They ran towards them to greet them.

"Are you okay Lucia? You had us completely worried." Rina smiled, sighing in relief.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm really sorry that I worried you all." She smiled sadly.

"No sweat Lucia, all that matters is that both of you are okay." Hanon smiled before she narrowed her eyes playfully. "And what have _you_ two been doing the whole night, huh? Let's hear it." She asked suggestively, which made Lucia blush heavily, though Goku merely looked at Hanon blankly, blinking a few times as that question went way over his head.

"What do you mean?" Goku asked innocently before he smiled. " We made a shelter out of snow so we can escape the storm, Lucia wasn't in shape to go anywhere so we had to warm each other up the whole night." He explained.

"Oooo, and how exactly did you two warm each other up?" Hanon continued to tease, which made Lucia blush even more.

"Shut up Hanon!" Lucia squealed in a girlish tone, blushing even more from her suggestive teasing. Guess Hanon is to be blamed for filling Lucia's head with lewd thoughts about Goku. Even so, Hanon and Rina were still baffled at how Lucia could be so flustered when it comes to embracing with Goku in bed, yet she didn't had a single clue that babies are made while a couple make love to each other. But they let that little topic slide as they laughed at Lucia's expense.

But for Goku, he merely blinked in confusion at Hanon's words, having no clue at what she was going for with that question. But he was getting really hungry at the moment and he was getting impatient to stuff his face with wide assortment of delicious foods.

"Can we go inside and get something to eat? I'm starving." Goku said light-heartedly.

"Yeah, I'm famished as well." Lucia chuckled nervously, rubbing her stomach.

"Come inside you two, Nicole prepared a hot soup for both of you." Rina smiled. Goku and Lucia happily obliged as four of them headed inside the hotel. A few minutes later, Goku and three mermaids sat on the table and ate the soup, though Nicole was prepared for Goku this time as she was warned by Lucia that he eats an insane amount of food. She also told her to prepare him simple meals, since he will practically eat anything as long as it tastes good. While Goku was blissfully gorging on one plate after another, Lucia explained to Hanon and Rina how Goku found her under the snow and kept her warm all night with his coat in a makeshift shelter that he quickly made to keep the two of them from the cold winds. Hanon found it so romantic and she daydreamed about Taro doing something like that for her, her knight in shining armor coming to the rescue. But then she decided to play around with Lucia a little more.

"So Lucia, you still haven't answered my question." Hanon narrowed her eyes again, teasing Lucia. "What have you two been doing all alone last night?"

"Will you stop it?! Goku just kept me warm all night, nothing more!" Lucia blushed red, starting to get annoyed by Hanon's teasing.

"Are you sure? You two seemed to be quite intimate with each other." Hanon giggled.

"Yeah, you two have been pretty close on your way here." Rina smiled, also joining Hanon's teasing. Now Lucia's face was as red as a tomato.

"Will you two shut up?!" Lucia squealed in a high-pitched and embarrassed tone, making Hanon and Rina laugh at Lucia's expense. Goku noticed how Lucia's face was all red and he could help but laugh through his nose while his mouth was full. Lucia noticed Goku giggling with that goofy expression and she bowed her head down in embarrassment.

"Well, maybe Goku can give us the details, aren't you Goku?" Hanon turned towards the powerful fighter. Goku stopped his eating session for a second and turned his gaze from his plate full of food.

"Bhf I whf whwewh fwf u Hhmhm." Goku said with his mouth full. The three mermaid's sweat dropped in response.

"Ok Goku, why don't you try saying that without your mouth full?" Rina raised her eyebrow in disgust, this guy clearly has no table manners whatsoever. Goku stared silently for a second at Rina before he slurped the whole pasta and ate the whole thing.

"Ugh, disgusting." Rina grunted, while Lucia merely giggled silently. Goku cleaned the last plate of food that Nicole brought for him. She soon came to pick up the plates and wash them.

"Now that hit the spot! Thanks for the grub Miss Nicole, that was amazing!" Goku said cheerfully and with respect.

"Thank you Goku, but you can call me Nicole. Being called miss makes me feel old." Nicole smiled, taking the plates away. Lucia pouted angrily at Goku, usually she was the one Goku complimented when it comes to food. Goku winced slightly before he laughed nervously, scratching his chin when he noticed Lucia pouting for some reason. Then he composed himself quickly and smiled at Hanon.

"I said that I already told you Hanon. When I found Lucia unconscious beneath the snow, I had to quickly make us a shelter for the night so both of us don't get caught in the cold winds. Lucia was shaking like a leaf when I found her, she was as cold as ice. After a lot of effort, Lucia managed to pull through, but she wasn't in shape to go anywhere, so we had to stay all night in the shelter." Goku explained.

"Aww, I wish Taro did something like that to me, I would be so happy!" Hanon said, daydreaming again about her love interest.

"Man, you really are hopeless." Lucia joked. Hanon merely frowned at Lucia, but it only made Goku, Lucia and Rina laugh slightly. Then Goku stood up from his chair.

"Well, time to go." He said casually.

"You are leaving already?" Lucia said, surprised by his sudden departure.

"Yeah, today's weather is perfect for some intense training." He smirked in determination, pumping his left fist.

"Goku, I understand that you want to stay in shape, but do you really to have to train _every_ day?" Rina asked. She understands, Goku is acting like most athletes, always ascending to new heights, but with Goku's incredible power achieved through all that intense training, she can't really complain, though she was curious.

"Sure, why not? Master Roshi once told me that there is always someone out there who is stronger than me and I have to be prepared for anything." Goku said cheerfully. The three mermaids sweat-dropped and chuckled nervously at his bizarre statement. Lucia accepted the fact that he will always be an addictive punch jockey who loves to train, but she was of a similar mind like Hanon and Rina that Goku was insane. Who could possibly be of a match for him? He is like a titan among humans, the only challenge that they could think of for Goku was Gaito, but that was it.

"Who in the world would challenge you Goku? I bet you have been invincible since your childhood, judging by what Lucia told me." Nicole suddenly said, emerging from the kitchen and standing next to Goku. Goku laughed light-heartedly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Not really, there have been some really strong guys that I encountered over the years." Goku smiled, having flashback of his fight with the veteran martial artist. "My first opponent was a guy named Jackie Chun. Even though he was old, he was incredibly strong. We faced six years ago at the first World Martial Arts Tournament that I participated along with my friend Krillin." He said. Nicole's eyes shot wide in great shock and surprise.

"What?! You participated in the World Martial Arts Tournament as a child?!" Nicole stammered. Goku looked at her blankly like it was no big deal.

"Yeah, I did." Goku said casually.

"Sister, what is this tournament about?" Lucia asked, having no idea about this big event. And for a good reason, cause she didn't spend as much time on surface as Nicole and Madame Taki did. Hanon and Rina were also eager to hear it, though it was something that Rina heard before, but she can't place it.

"It is a major event where the world's strongest warriors all gather in one place to determine who will be number one under the sun." Nicole explained.

"Wow!" Lucia and Hanon said, their eyes and mouths wide in amazement as they looked at each other.

"Oh yeah, I remember now. Once every five years, hundreds of martial artists gather there to see who will be the best, but I heard that it was extremely difficult to even pass the preliminaries, let alone the quarter-finals." Rina said, remembering that she read about the tournament a while back. Goku smiled with a toothy grin, snickering childishly.

"Yeah, but me and Krillin were both trained by Master Roshi, so we breezed through the preliminaries. The only challenge for us in the whole tournament back then was Jackie Chun. Besides, since the tournament became so popular, they are now holding it once every _three_ years." Goku said, gesturing with three fingers. During their conversation, Madame Taki and Hippo arrived, sitting on table across the three mermaids.

"Really? Wow, I didn't know." Lucia smiled brightly. She was no fighter, but she was amazed at how Goku participated in such a major even more than once. Then Goku continued.

"But he wasn't the only challenging opponent that I faced till the next tournament. There was a guy called General Blue with his paralyzing technique, even though it is a cheap move, but then I faced a really strong bad guy named Mercenary Tao, now _that_ was tough." Goku said cheerfully.

"Mercenary Tao?" Hanon said.

"Who is he?" Rina asked. Lucia turned her attention towards her best friends.

"Apparently he was a world assassin that Goku fought long ago. He easily beat Goku in the first fight, but after a rematch it was Goku who won for good." Lucia smiled. Nicole, Hanon and Rina gawked in shock at her answer. They may not know entirely of the notorious assassin, but judging by Lucia's description, he wasn't someone to cross paths with.

"How do you even know that Lucia?" Hanon asked, still having a shocked expression.

"Goku told me of that fight while we were taking a break from riding his Flying Nimbus." Lucia smiled casually. Then Hanon and Rina turned towards Goku, who had that signature toothy grin. Then Goku continued.

"Yup, but he wasn't the only strong opponent that I faced. When the next tournament came, me, Krillin and Yamcha have all passed the preliminaries easily, but there were other two strong guys that we faced in the semi-finals: Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu. Krillin won against Chiaotzu and I fought Tien in the finals." Goku smiled, having flashback of his intense battle with Tien. "Me and Tien gave everything we had on that fight, he was using techniques I have never seen before. He even used an energy attack that completely destroyed the arena and both of us fought in mid-air with what's left of our energy. But in the end, we both didn't have energy to spare and we both fell out of bounds, but Tien won in the end." Goku smiled. He didn't really care about victory back then, he only wanted a good fight and Tien did not disappoint at all, excluding the part where Chiaotzu secretly paralyzed him from time to time under Shen's orders.

"Tien Shinhan won? But how? You said you were both out of bounds." Lucia said, confused at how Goku didn't win instead.

"Well yeah, but it was only for a few seconds. I crashed on a truck first and then Tien fell down on the ground seconds later." Goku rubbed his head, smiling. "But ah well, now ill train hard till the next tournament and…" Then Goku stopped as he remembered who he has to also face. To everyone's surprise, Goku's face went serious as he was now in thought. Goku had a flashback of King Piccolo from three years ago and of his maniacal and evil laughter. He only had about a week or so before the tournament and he will have to face King Piccolo again through his son who will also participate.

The three mermaids were now worried about Goku's serious expression, Lucia more so. She has no idea what made him so serious, he is now more serious than he was when he fought Gaito and that worried her greatly.

"Goku? Is everything alright?" Lucia asked curiously. Goku suddenly snapped from his thoughts as he went back to normal, looking towards Lucia with a childish expression. He then laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sure, everything is okay Lucia. But I should really get going and start training while the sun is still up. See ya!" Goku waved goodbye and darted outside, going back home, leaving the three mermaids with confused expressions, having no idea what made Goku so serious a few moments earlier. They stayed silent for a few seconds before Hanon glanced towards Rina.

"I have never seen Goku so serious, at least when he is not fighting. Do you have any idea what could possibly trouble him?" Hanon asked curiously.

"I don't have a clue, but I bet it has something to do with that tournament he mentioned." Rina said, holding her chin in thought.

"Goku." Lucia said in a low, whispering voice, frowning sadly as she looked towards the exit door. She knew that something was obviously troubling Goku when he stopped mid-sentence with a serious expression. She had no idea what it is, but she is going to find out. But question is… how?

The rest of the day went by in the flash. While Lucia continued to recuperate from her near death experience, Goku continued to push his limits, training as hard as possible before the tournament begins in about a week. The night fell and he took a shower before he grabbed a bite to eat. Now he went to sleep on a full stomach, plopping on his large bed with nothing but his boxers.

"Man, now this is a balm for sore body." Goku smiled. Then he was slowly drifting into slumber, his eyelids heavy. He quickly fell asleep after that intense training session.

* * *

 _But this time, instead of having the usual, blissful dreams that he has most of the time, he found himself in a barren city that looked extremely familiar, but with occasional distant screams of innocent people and roars and cackles of unknown creatures in the distance. As he looked around, he found himself in the street between the city and the beach, surrounded by darkness._

" _ **What? Where am i?"**_ _He thought, frantically looking left and right. Then he moved forward to nowhere in particular._ _ **"This whole place is demolished, like it was under siege."**_ _He thought, hearing yet again maniacal laughters and cackles in the distance of various creatures. But as he continued to move onward, he found a Pearl Hotel in the distance, completely in ruins._

" _Oh no!" Goku gasped, immediately running towards the entrance. He quickly arrived there and proceeded to open the door, but it fell down upon contact. He was horrified to find Lucia's home in ruins, but to make the scene even more terrible, he saw a fractured green crystal ball. His eyes went wide in shock as he found Madame Taki buried in the rubble, her hand the only thing sticking out of the rubble. He turned left to find Nicole covered in deep gashes and wounds, a pool of dried blood around her._

" _ **This is terrible, who could have done this?"**_ _Goku gritted his teeth in thought, growling angrily and clenching his fists. Then he gasped again in shock and horror to find…_

" _Hanon! Rina!" He exclaimed, running outside. His anger was increased when he found Rina with her stomach split open, an attack from behind from the look of it, her eyes lifelessly fixed in same position. Then he looked towards Hanon, who was in the similar condition like Nicole, only with deep clawed wounds across her entire body and large amount of blood surrounding her. He gently picked her lifeless body, holding her bloodied head as his body was trembling in uncontrollable anger, growling loudly as his rage was growing rapidly._

" _ **Who would be so cruel?"**_ _He thought in rage before he looked at a tiny figure from the other side. That tiny figure was Hippo, his clothes torn to shreds, showing multiple scars and bruises._ _ **"Poor thing, not even he was spared."**_ _He thought. Then even greater shock and horror overcame him as his eyes shot wide and gasped loudly as he thought of…_

" _Lucia!" He exclaimed. He immediately stood up. "LUCIA! WHERE ARE YOU?! LUCIA!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, frantically searching left and right, but there was no answer. Then suddenly, the ground shattered beneath him, opening a dark hole and swallowing him in it. He screamed as he fell down into the unknown, but several seconds later, he saw what appeared to be as solid ground encircled with illuminating light. He flipped several times backwards before he descended gracefully on the ground._

" _What is this place? Everything is so dark." He said to himself. He checked his surroundings to find nothing but pitch-black darkness around him. "But why do I have a feeling that I'm not alone?" He frowned in caution. Then he heard sound of heavy winds flapping about. He was immediately on guard as he clenched his fists to his sides and bent his knees slightly. The winds emitted a faint sound, but it didn't just come from one direction. Goku glanced left and right, trying to find the source of the sound, but then beastly growls and laughters followed soon after. Then two monstrous figures appeared behind Goku, which prompted him to immediately turn around. He saw two fat creatures who looked extremely familiar. First he glanced towards the draconic figure to the right. He recognized him as Cymbal, one of King Piccolo's subordinates whom Yajirobe sliced in two and eaten soon after. Then he glanced to the left, identifying the creature as Drum, the same monster that he effortlessly killed in one kick._

 _But then, he heard an evil and all too familiar laughter from behind him._

" _Well, I see that you have reacquainted with my sons. Too bad they were no match for your strength." An arrogant and malicious voice said behind him. He turned around to find an extremely shadowy figure taking form._

" _Piccolo!" Goku said spitefully in anger, immediately identifying the murderer of his friends. He growled again in rage, clenching his fists on his sides and bent his knees a little._

" _Why that hate in your eyes? Surely you must be happy to see your executioner standing before you once again. You may have defeated me three years ago, but…" King Piccolo then had a wide and sadistic toothy grin on his face. "I have found another way to defeat you." He said, chuckling slightly. He then crouched slightly, as if grabbing something from behind him. But Goku was now shocked and horrified to the core as he immediately recognized Piccolo's hostage._

" _LUCIA!" He yelled in horror, which only brought King Piccolo amusement. Lucia was covered in cuts and bruises, her clothes torn in several places, most notable her skirt and right cleavage. She wasn't dead, but merely unconscious._

" _Isn't she a sight to see? It would be shame to end her pathetic little life, don't you agree?" King Piccolo taunted, ruthlessly gripping her behind her head in his iron grip and lifting her in front of him for Goku to see. Goku's rage was boiling within him, he wanted to lash out immediately at King Piccolo for what he did to Lucia, but he couldn't. He was afraid that he would kill her on the spot. But then Lucia barely opened her right eye, showing clear sign of desperate need for help._

" _G…G-Go-ku." Lucia said in a weak and sorrowful tone, her life now in the villain's hands. But Goku reached his breaking point as he let out a battle cry and charged towards Piccolo. But the insidious monster merely grinned wickedly, squeezing Lucia's head hard enough to make her scream loudly in pain. Goku immediately came to a screeching halt, just as the villain predicted._

" _That's right, you take one step closer and I will give her a headache she will never forget!" King Piccolo taunted, his devilish grin even present on his face. But Goku had to temper his overwhelming anger and rage._

" _Leave her alone Piccolo! Stop acting like a coward and fight me!" He exclaimed loudly, clenching his left fist in front of him._

" _Sorry, but you are in no position to be giving me orders. But rather than fight, why don't we play a little game instead?" King Piccolo said, having a sinister and twisted plan in his mind. Almost on cue, Krillin's murderer appeared from his right side: Tambourine. But what shocked and horrified Goku even more than he already was, was the sight of his mermaid in similar condition as Lucia, with Tambourine throwing her in front of him._

" _G-Go-ku…help-m-me." The mermaid said, barely extending her hand desperately for Goku to help. Goku now had no damn idea what to do, it was a complete stalemate. He felt completely helpless, just like when Piccolo had Tien in his grasp and he had to submit to keep him alive. Now it's the same situation, only it's ten times worse. Not only was Lucia in danger, but also the mermaid. His entire body was shaking uncontrollably in pure, unbridled rage, but once again he has to yield for both of them to live. But unfortunately for Goku, King Piccolo only just got started torturing him._

" _Now, the choice is yours Goku. You are to choose who will live…" He said as Tambourine caught the mermaid behind her head with his left hand and clawing his right hand. "… and who will die. You only have a minute do decide." King Piccolo laughed evilly, gripping Lucia tightly. "Better hurry or they BOTH die!" he laughed again._

 _The situation couldn't have been more hopeless than this, so much that he even forgot this was all a horrible nightmare. Goku didn't want either of them to die, but judging the situation, he was practically rooted in place. The slightest error and both of them will die._

 _He first glanced towards the horrified Lucia, a girl that he knew for months and whom he spent time with more than any girl he ever met and was the first girl that he actually enjoyed being with and have fun. After all the time they spent together, he grew more and more attached to Lucia, vowing to protect her from anyone who would ever harm her._

 _Then there was the mermaid, his savior from many years ago. She may have appeared rarely in recent times, but nonetheless she wanted her to live as well. He owed that mermaid his life, but his affection towards the mermaid was of a lesser degree than that for Lucia. Still, he knew that the mermaid cared about him and that feeling is almost mutual, but he simply can't deny the fact that as time passed, he thought more of Lucia than the mermaid. However, he still has this strong feeling that there is a connection between the two, though every time he would come close to that answer, it always slips away._

 _But then, unexpectedly…_

" _Time is up!" King Piccolo said prematurely, catching Goku completely off guard. But as Goku was about to make his charge, Cymbal and Drum stopped him by grabbing each of his arms and pinning him in place. Goku could only watch in horror as Tambourine pierced through the mermaid's chest with an energy-charged claw attack, while King Piccolo crushed Lucia's head with a loud cracking noise, dropping her limp body on the ground. It was at that moment that Goku gawked at Lucia and the mermaid with the expression filled to the brim with rage and disbelief. King Piccolo's laughter was only adding fuel to the fire as Goku suddenly went wild, roaring at the top of his lungs with a mixture of rage and hopelessness and unleashing a massive burst of energy from his body, illuminating everything around him._

* * *

Then the nightmare finally ceased as Goku's eyes shot open and got right up in sitting position, sweating profusely and breathing hard. He checked on his hands and started to calm down a little.

" _Man, what a nightmare. I don't want to go through all that again._ " Goku thought, still trying to calm down and compose himself. The shock of that nightmare was more impactful than he thought, especially when he was forced to witness the mermaid's and Lucia's brutal deaths right in front of his eyes. What was going on with him? Why is he feeling this nauseating emotion in his heart? It couldn't be because of their deaths in the nightmare. For the first time as long as he could remember, he was beginning to be… afraid. He was always literally a courage and valor incarnate, not even once he ever backed down from anything. But right now, only one specific fear started to take hold in his heart: A fear for Lucia's life.

Since when did that happen? Was it when she was nearly frozen in that cave? No, that can't be it. Then he came to the conclusion that the cause for this specific fear must be from last night when he found Lucia at death's door beneath the snow. Why is it so? If it ever came to that, he could use the Dragon Balls to wish her back to life. But even so, the thought of her dying even once was extremely unpleasant. When Krillin and Master Roshi died, all he ever experienced from such tragedies was pure anger and thirst for revenge. When Lucia and the mermaid died in the nightmare, that feeling was tripled as he roared in unimaginable fury. But, when he pondered on it, he started to realize the importance of a person's life. He even promised to Kami that he will take better care for his friends after he resurrected the Eternal Dragon and when they were wished back to life after King Piccolo's rampage. Then Goku frowned in determination as he promised to himself not to fail his friends ever again. He will protect them fiercely against any enemy, especially Lucia, even if he has to use every ounce of energy in his body to do it.

He then checked on his clock and it was 2 am. His mind started to take its toll as he sighed tiredly and plopped back to sleep. Any further thinking would make his brain explode.

* * *

The next morning at school, Lucia arrived a few minutes early before the class starts.

"Hi Hanon. Hi Rina." Lucia greeted the two mermaids.

"Hey there Lucia, glad you made it on time, for a second I thought you were still in bed, knowing how lazy you are." Hanon said, narrowing her eyes in tease. Lucia merely pouted in annoyance.

"And what does that supposed to mean Hanon?" Lucia said. Hanon said nothing as she merely laughed slightly.

"By the way, has Goku arrived yet?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Yeah, he is sitting over there. He looks like he didn't get enough sleep for some reason." Rina said, pointing at Goku who was sleeping in sitting position with his head rested on his hand.

"It is strange, usually he is always awake. Well, during recess at least." Hanon said, finding it a bit odd of Goku's lack of energy. Usually he was overflowing with it, much like Lucia.

"I'll go talk to him." Lucia smiled, heading to greet the sleeping Goku.

"Good morning Goku." Lucia smiled, bending forward a bit. A few seconds passed and no answer. "Goku? Goku?" Lucia nudged him a little to wake him up. If he is sound asleep, then he will be scolded by their teacher. Luckily, Goku was slowly waking up.

"Oh hi Lucia." Goku said groggily, yawning loudly and rubbing his right eye.

"Why are you so sleepy? You are always awake during breaks and recesses." Lucia frowned sadly, starting to be concerned for him.

"I just didn't get enough sleep last night, that's all. Nothing to worry about." Goku smiled to ease Lucia's worries.

"Why? You had a nightmare or something?" Lucia asked curiously. Goku immediately had a flashback of that moment that King Piccolo brutally crushed Lucia's head. Goku's eyes went slightly wide at the mention of that word, but his face was blank, concealing any negative facial feature that might worry Lucia even more.

"No, don't be silly Lucia." Goku laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I was just thinking a lot about other efficient ways to improve my training." Goku smiled. Lucia knew that something was clearly bothering Goku, but he sure is a sweetheart when he didn't want her to worry my giving her his typical toothy grin. In the end, she smiled too.

"Oh okay. I was just concerned if it wasn't something serious, that's all." Lucia smiled sweetly.

"Nope, same old same old." Goku smiled, playing dumb. Soon enough, their teacher entered the room and the class started.

Later that day after classes, with Hanon and Rina going their separate ways to do their business, Lucia left alone back to the hotel.

"Hey Lucia!" Goku suddenly called out behind her. She turned sideways to see him.

"What is it Goku? Aren't you going home?" She asked.

"Well, not really, but do you mind If I keep you company on your way home?" Goku smiled. Lucia's eyes went slightly wide in surprise.

"Umm, yeah, of course you can come along." Lucia said hesitantly, not sure if he is asking on purpose or there was something else in his mind.

"Great, let's go." Goku smiled brightly and the two of them went to the Pearl Hotel.

As they were walking together on the sidewalk near the beach, Lucia was starting to grow uneasy for some reason. Even though Goku had that usual, carefree smile on his face, she knew that something was definitely troubling him, but he won't say it out loud. Even though she wanted for a while for him to take her home at least once, it was rather strange that _he_ was the one who asked her and not her.

"You know Goku, you really surprised me." She said, blushing in embarrassment, but at the same time still being uneasy with this situation for reasons now even she can explain why.

"What do you mean?" Goku asked with innocent expression.

"Well, it's very unusual that you asked me to walk with me back home. Are you sure you are okay?" Lucia asked in a tone mixed with curiosity and worry.

"Of course I am, it's just… umm.." Goku then stopped, looking up in thought. He was now feeling really stupid. He had no explanation of why he even asked her in the first place. He just did and that's it. But then he saw Lucia's seashell pendant around her neck and immediately remembered about that strange power emanating from it when he found her under the snow.

"Well, I was meaning to ask you about something." Goku said. It wasn't the actual reason he asked her to accompany her, but it was enough to convince Lucia.

"What is it?" Lucia asked blankly.

"About that pendant around your neck…" Goku pointed at her necklace. Lucia looked down at it.

"What of it?" Lucia asked.

"Well, when I found you that night beneath the snow, your necklace radiated with a lot of power. Where did you get it?" Goku asked with innocent expression, but with curiosity hidden within. Lucia's eyes again went wide, but this time in shock. Was that the reason why he wanted to keep her company?

" _What am I going to do now? Come on Lucia, think! Think!"_ Lucia thought, frantically trying to find a quick answer. She forgot the fact that Goku was very perceptive, despite his obvious naivety. She can't just tell him that about her mermaid heritage, but she needs to come up with something clever to convince him.

"Well umm… it's a…" Lucia muttered as she glanced towards Goku, not knowing how to answer his question without blowing her cover. There was no use lying to him about its powerful properties, but she will have to leave out the mermaid part for her own sake and the sake of Hanon and Rina. She sighed slightly as she started to speak.

"It's a magical necklace that my mother gave me. It's something that I always have by my side." Lucia said. "She made this necklace for me long ago. After I was about ten years old, she gave it to me so I can always be close to her even if we were far away." Lucia looked at the necklace, frowning sadly. Goku now felt bad for even asking.

"I had no idea." Goku said in low and considerate tone, blinking a few times.

"But she told me that this necklace has magical properties, though I know only of one. Whenever I am in danger, like I was that night, it will glow with bright light so others could find their way to me." Then Lucia smiled. "Just like it guided you to my location."

"Oh, I get it. It's like a compass for other people to find you if you were unconscious or when you get lost." Goku said childishly with bright smile, now slightly understanding the secret behind that power, though he had a feeling that there is something more to it than that.

"Yeah, something like that." Lucia chuckled nervously.

"But wait, what about Hanon and Rina? How come they have pendants that look exactly like yours, only theirs are blue and green?" Goku asked innocently again. Lucia's face went blank at his question. Goku is _really_ perceptive. Guess she needs to lie about that too, even though she felt bad for lying to Goku in the first place.

"Well, since we always hang out with each other, I told them what I told you and they made replicas of my pendant." Lucia laughed nervously before she composed herself slightly and smiled. "They told me it was a token of our friendship." She said. Goku smiled widely in response. Then both of them continued to walk towards the Pearl Hotel.

"I'm glad you have such amazing friends." Goku smiled before he frowned in excitement. " I can't wait to meet mine again when the tournament starts and see how strong they have become in three years." Goku said, pumping his right fist in front of him, overly excited to fight his friends and test their increased strength.

"You mean the World Martial Arts Tournament?" Lucia asked.

"Yeah, it will start in about a week, I'm so excited." Goku pumped both of his fists in front of him. Lucia couldn't help but smile at his excitement. Even during the fight with Gaito, he showed clear signs of the thrill of the challenge and it never changed even after all this time. She only hoped that excitement won't get him killed.

Soon enough, they stood in front of the hotel's entrance.

"Thanks for walking me home, Goku, I enjoyed in our conversation." Lucia smiled.

"Sure, anytime." Goku smiled. "Well, I better get home, see ya." Goku waved goodbye.

"Goku, wait a second." Lucia suddenly stopped him. Goku turned around, raising his eyebrow curiously.

"What is it Lucia?" Goku asked with blank expression. Lucia may have gotten away with her little story, even now she feels bad for lying to him, but she really needs to know the answer to her question: What is truly troubling Goku? He would simply shrug it off to ease her worries, but she was pretty determined to find out, so she decided to ask him out instead.

"Do you have plans for tomorrow? I was wondering if you want to go out and have some fun." Lucia smiled. Lucia always considered 'having fun' part as a date, but it seems those words are enough to convince Goku to go out with her.

"Of course. Where do you want us to go?" Goku smiled brightly.

"Well, where would you want to go? Is there any place that you want us to visit?" Lucia asked. Goku looked up in thought for a few seconds before he answered, holding his chin.

"I think I know the place. What do you say we meet in front of the hotel tomorrow?" Goku smiled.

"Sure, I'll wait for you." Lucia nodded happily.

"It's a deal then. See ya tomorrow." Goku waved goodbye before he departed. Lucia smiled as she watched Goku depart, but soon she frowned sadly in concern. Guess she will find out an answer to her question soon enough, but she can't help but have this uneasy feeling about tomorrow. For what reason, she doesn't know.

Sometime later, Lucia was in her room with Hanon and Hippo. Hanon noticed that something was bothering her, so he decided to ask her.

"Alright Lucia, let's hear it. What is bothering you this time?" Hanon said casually, sitting on a chair close to writing desk.

"How do you know?" Lucia asked.

"Have you forgotten how long are we hanging out with each other? Let me guess, it's about Goku, isn't it?" Hanon smiled.

"Yeah, you are right." Lucia silently nodded in confirmation with a sad frown.

"Tch, didn't see that one coming". Hippo said sarcastically. Lucia pouted angrily at Hippo for a second before she turned to Hanon again.

"Well, the thing is, Goku asked me if he could walk me back home earlier today and now I'm going out with him tomorrow." Lucia explained. This information shocked both Hippo and Hanon.

"He asked you out on a date?! Really?!" Hanon exclaimed in shock. She never would have believed that Goku would finally ask her out.

"No no, he didn't. I was the one who asked him to go out with me." Hanon immediately corrected her.

"Lucia, girls don't ask boys out on a date, that's their job, remember?" Hanon raised her eyebrow in annoyance.

"Goku is nothing like other boys Hanon." Lucia frowned angrily before she frowned sadly again. "But, something was clearly troubling him and it has something to do with that tournament he keeps mentioning. He is hiding that through his excitement." She said worryingly.

"You know Goku, he is always the one looking for a good fight." Hanon smiled to ease Lucia's worried before she looked up in thought. "But you got a point, Goku was acting strangely since yesterday."

"That's why I'm going to find out tomorrow what is the deal. I can't stand watching him like that. That is not Goku that we know." Lucia said.

"Relax Lucia, he is probably expecting a big competition at the tournament and he is probably forming a strategy. I'm sure it's nothing serious." Hanon smiled, placing a hand on Lucia's shoulder. Then she left Lucia's room and Hippo followed. Hanon may have a point, but Lucia will nonetheless figure this whole situation out when she goes out with Goku.

* * *

The next day, Goku picked up Lucia and they both went on foot. Soon enough they reached the Aquarium compound far away from the hotel. Lucia's eyes went wide as she recognized the building.

" _Wait a minute, this is the place where we rescued Momo. Why in the world would he take us here of all places?"_ Lucia thought.

"What's wrong Lucia?" Goku asked with blank expression.

"Oh nothing, I'm just surprised you picked this place." Lucia said.

"You don't like it? We can go to other places if you want to." Goku smiled.

"No no, I'm just…. surprised, that's all." Lucia smiled nervously.

"Sorry if I didn't think of any other place. Guess I was preoccupied with my training this morning that I didn't put enough thought into it." Goku chuckled bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. Lucia put all her worries to ease for now as she smiled brightly.

"It's okay Goku. Well, shall we?" Lucia asked, with Goku nodding. Then the two of them went inside.

But despite the young couple enjoying themselves, Lucia was still pondering on what is Goku thinking about. She should be happy that she is spending time with him, considering he is training till he passes out, but for some reason she isn't. Why is that?

"What's the matter Lucia? Is something wrong?" Goku asked innocently as they were passing near an extremely familiar, massive glass wall. As for Lucia, she couldn't hold that anxiousness anymore as she proceeded to interrogate Goku and discover the truth.

"Well, there is something I was meaning to ask you." Lucia said, looking down on the ground with sad frown in thought.

"What is it?" Goku asked. Then he glanced to his right and locked his sight on a familiar water pool in front of him.

"Well, it's about this tournament that you mentioned. Can you explain to me who has been worrying you so much, is he going to participate there?" Lucia asked hesitantly. But when she got silence as response, she stopped walking and turned to the right to find that Goku was gone.

"Goku?" Lucia turned to find Goku frowning seriously through the glass wall. Lucia followed his gaze to find a familiar scene. Her eyes went wide as she recognized this place.

" _Wait, this is where I kissed Goku as a mermaid."_ Lucia thought, having flashback of that moment. Then she turned towards Goku. _"Was that the reason why he took me here?"_ She thought. All this time she thought it was something about the tournament that was bothering Goku, but it seems it's the opposite. He was so fixated on that pool that everything else around him fell on deaf ears. Was he thinking about that mermaid? Now this one question plagued her mind significantly, questioning Goku of where his heart truly lies: Does he like her human self or her mermaid self? If it's the latter, then why would he bring her here?

As for Goku, he was indeed having flashback of his kiss with the mermaid, but then his nightmare from that night quickly followed, specifically the part where Tambourine brutally murdered the mermaid right in front of his eyes. He has no idea why is that nightmare troubling him so much. He knew it was nothing but an illusion, but it threw his heart and mind in complete disarray. He was now having mixed emotions in that moment, switching between Lucia and that mermaid. He cared about both of them, there is no way he would shun either of them. The mermaid saved his life and she appeared to be a kind-hearted person, but so was Lucia and he was hanging out with her most of the time. He even had flashback of the kiss that they shared at the haunted mansion, albeit with a little help.

" _You are to choose who will live… and who will die."_ King Piccolo's words echoed in his mind, followed by his flashback of Lucia and the mermaid, then the flashback of their lifeless bodies in front of King Piccolo. Goku frowned angrily at that memory.

" _No, I would never choose one over the other. I would save both of them, no matter what it takes."_ Goku thought. Maybe it's time to tell Lucia the truth, that the secret he keeps from her is his fight against Piccolo at the tournament. It may worry her greatly, but she would have found out anyway, considering how stubborn she could be. He even smiled at the thought. Her constant, but cute insistence on pretty much everything when it comes to Goku was too much to resist.

Seeing Goku smiling sent a surge of pain in Lucia's heart. His smile confirmed that he was indeed thinking of the mermaid, which made her form tears in her eyes.

"Goku!" Lucia suddenly exclaimed, breaking Goku from his trance.

"Huh? You said something Lucia?" Goku asked with innocent expression again.

"Nothing, I'm going home." Lucia ran away, hiding her face from him to stop herself from crying.

"Lucia, wait!" Goku extended his hand to stop her, but it was no use to chase her. She seemed really upset. Maybe she got angry that Goku was stubbornly keeping that secret from her. Then he frowned in determination. He will tell her the truth for sure, but he doubted that Lucia will see him today, so he went to do some extensive training and wait for tomorrow.

* * *

The night fell and Lucia was in her room, sitting on her bed with a sad frown and silently looking at the wall in front of her. Then Rina came in with two cups of hot milk.

"Hey Lucia, thought you could use some hot milk, it's still chilly out there at night." Rina smiled.

"Thank you." Lucia smiled, sipping her drink. "Rina, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?" Rina asked curiously.

"Can a guy ask a girl out that he doesn't even like, let alone be with that girl? It's something that bothers me lately." Lucia frowned sadly.

"I don't know, but I know that you are implying to Goku. You know that he is far too pure for that." Rina said. She may know him less than Lucia, but his kind-hearted and naive nature makes him stand out from every other guy that she ever met.

"I know, but…" She paused before she continued. "Earlier today, we went together at the Aquarium where we rescued Momo and he was staring longingly at the pool where I kissed him as a mermaid. He was hanging out with me and yet my mermaid self was in his heart. From that point I was constantly thinking about where his heart truly lies." Lucia said.

"I don't understand you Lucia." Rina frowned slightly. "Who would you like for Goku to see: the real you or his memory of you as a mermaid?" She asked. Tears slowly started to form in Lucia's eyes the longer she thought about Goku's ambiguous devotion.

"Had I known that all of this would happen, then I would never fall in love with him." Lucia said, slowly succumbing to her unbearable sorrow as she started to cry, covering her face with her hands. She had all she could take from all of this and had to vent it somehow, even through tears of sorrow. Her initial intention this entire time in the human world was to make Goku take a liking to her human self more than her mermaid self, who was nothing but a distant memory. But it would seem that she discovered that Goku has now mixed emotions: He cares about her as Lucia, but he also cared about the mermaid. To Goku, Lucia was two separate beings, not aware that both of them were one and the same. It seems that everything is spiraling out of control. First that fiasco with Goku and Aqua Regina in her kingdom and now this. Seems she has no choice, she will have to wait and see where this newfound discovery will lead their relationship towards.

* * *

 **-SuperKamehameha Thanks bro. Probably, but not in this point of time :D**

 **-Vegito Thanks a lot, i appreciate it, ill try to update the story as soon as possible :)**

 **-gsan8770 Thanks man :)**

 **-guest That remains to be seen during the story.**

 **As always, thank you all for the support and reviews and see ya in the next chapter :)**


	16. Chapter 16

~Confessions~

Later that night, Rina managed to calm Lucia down and put her to bed, telling her that a good night sleep will make her feel better. Lucia soon after fell asleep, letting every thought in her mind slip away and fall into a deep slumber. Rina felt bad of Lucia's situation, but she knew that everything will turn out well in the end. After she left Lucia's room, she went to find Hanon, who was in the kitchen for some reason, humming her song she used in her last skirmish with Maria.

"Hey Hanon. What are you doing?" Rina asked curiously.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm cooking. Wanna take a guess on what it is?" Hanon smiled as she was mixing the ingredients in her bowl.

"Hmm, a stake? Meat balls?" Rina said in serious tone, deliberately teasing Hanon. Hanon sweat-dropped by her blunt statements.

"You got it all wrong, I'm making a chocolate." Hanon said in angry and annoyed tone.

"Oh, I understand you Hanon and I appreciate the effort, but I haven't eaten chocolate in a long time so I wouldn't get tooth cavity, but thanks anyway." Rina said nervously, rubbing the back of her head. Hanon had a tick mark on her head and she got really annoyed and angry by her oblivious attitude.

"Will you stop pissing me off?! This is not for you! I am making this for Valentine's Day!" Hanon yelled angrily.

"Valentine's Day? It's tomorrow?" Rina said blankly.

"YES!" Hanon said in booming voice, making Rina wince and then laugh nervously, scratching her chin. Hanon continued to work on her chocolate until a while later, she was finally finished. Her chocolate was made in shape of a heart, written on it the word 'Love' in the center and two small heart shapes below it.

"There, a love-made chocolate." Hanon smiled, clutching a small box with chocolate cupcake in it. "Ahh, the sacred Valentine, a day where love-struck girls confess their affections to a boy they like and give chocolate as a sign of their devotion." Hanon smiled blissfully, having stars and sparkles in her eyes. Hippo on the other hand was not overly agreeable about her gesture, fearing that her 'love confession' will turn for the worst.

"What?! I'm sorry, but I won't allow it!" Hippo said, immediately grabbing the box, ripping it and devouring the entire chocolate in a comical speed, much to Hanon's utter shock and anger.

"Noo, my love-made chocolate! Hippo, I'll kill you!" Hanon said furiously, slapping the little penguin hard and locking him in stranglehold.

"I… can't… breathe." Hippo said, trying to catch his breath from Hanon's iron grip.

"Well, I'm off to bed." Rina said before she glanced towards the struggling Hippo. "By the way, an excessive dose of chocolate can cause a nose bleed, so keep that in mind. See ya." Rina departed.

"Thanks, but I'll be dead by then." Hippo said in a struggling tone, realizing that he was thoroughly done for.

* * *

Another night passed and Valentine's Day has finally arrived. But other than Hanon, who had to remake the chocolate the whole night, another mermaid was ill of a mood today. Lucia was sitting all alone at the beach in front of the hotel, still plagued by Goku's ambiguous devotions between her two forms who he considered as individuals.

" _Who is it that you like Goku? Do you love me as a mermaid or me as Lucia?"_ She thought, having respective flashbacks of kissing Goku in the pool and their second visit to the Aquarium. She sighed sadly at the predicament. "The more I think about it, the less I understand him."

"Then stop thinking so much." Someone suddenly said from her right. Lucia turned to see who it was.

"Rina." Lucia said.

"You are still thinking about what happened with Goku, aren't you?" Rina asked, folding her arms and standing next to her.

"I just can't stop thinking about it." Lucia frowned sadly.

"Well, you will never know what lies in his heart just by sitting there and mewling in thought." Rina said. Lucia frowned as she resented that.

"Hey!" Lucia exclaimed angrily.

"I'm sorry Lucia, but if you haven't figured out Goku by now, then you should really pay more attention than expect to get answers from the man himself." Rina said, looking towards the horizon. "Goku is the purest guy I have ever met, he is like an open book. He obviously cares about you Lucia, but since you saved him as a mermaid, he can't forget about your mermaid self like that. Still, that mermaid is nothing but a distant memory for him." Then she looked to Lucia. "You and Goku are hanging out for months now. He saw your virtues and flaws and overtime, he get to know you more and more and he practically likes everything about you. Can't you see?" Rina smiled with a friendly grin. Lucia said nothing as she looked towards the sea in thought, with Rina's words filling her with confidence and hope.

"Well, I better go, I have a comedy show in a few minutes on TV and I don't plan on missing it. Bye." Rina waved goodbye as she departed. Maybe Rina was right, she was filling her head with excessive and unnecessary doubts about him. Of course Goku cares about her, but still, he showed signs that he also cared about the mermaid as well, smiling at the thought. It may be true that the mermaid was a distant memory, but how much does he care about her? Does he care for her more than her human self? She will have to find out from Goku himself at school.

* * *

The hour for school came and the three mermaids departed. Hanon was exhausted and Lucia was walking with same expression like she had before. She tried to expel those doubts from her mind for a while, but they were stuck in her head like super glue.

"What's with you two and those sour expressions? Care to share?" Rina asked casually.

"I'm totally exhausted, I had to remake that chocolate all over again. That chowder head Hippo ate it all." Hippo yawned tiredly while Lucia sighed sadly.

"Sheesh, way to bring down the mood." Rina said silently.

While Hanon and Rina went in separate direction, Lucia went towards the classroom, but she saw a flock of teenage girls with packaged chocolates in hand.

"Have you heard? Goku is going for a while in the mountains." One girl said.

"So today might be our only chance, i better give him this chocolate." Another girl said. Lucia overheard their conversation and immediately went to the classroom with a chocolate of her own. It was a rather small chocolate the size of her hand, but she hoped that Goku would appreciate it nonetheless and understand it as a sign of her affection towards him.

She arrived in front of the classroom door. She was reluctant to enter at first, but in the end she decided to confront him. Rina was right, she will never know where his heart lies just by sitting in the corner and frown upon it. But as she was about to enter the classroom from the back door, she saw a group of girls surrounding Goku with their chocolate gifts, advancing towards the pure-hearted fighter to see who will draw his attention.

"Here you go Goku, I brought a chocolate for you!" one girl said.

"Me too, here you go!" Another girl said. And constant banter continued as Goku could do nothing but laugh nervously, having no idea how to escape this bizarre situation.

" _Oh yeah, I forgot. Goku is really popular in school."_ Lucia thought. _"But I am the one you care about, right?"_ She thought, looking at a small package in her hands. Suddenly, Rina popped from her left side.

"Look at Goku, if he eats all that chocolate then he will get a sugar rush." Rina said.

"Not with his appetite. By the way, what brings you here?" Lucia asked curiously with innocent expression.

"I got this for you." Rina smiled, revealing a green package with chocolate in it. Lucia recoiled slightly in panic as she knew what that meant.

"Rina, I really appreciate it and you are an amazing friend, but I can't accept it!" Lucia sweat-dropped, chuckling nervously at this out of the blue situation. Rina merely looked at her like she was crazy.

"It's not what you think, you mook! Hanon gave this to me because she thought you don't have a chocolate to give to Goku." Rina stammered, sweat-dropping. She immediately let that awkward statement slide as she noticed a small package in her hands. "But it looks like our Hanon was wrong." She said. But Lucia merely shook her head. She simply doesn't have the courage to ask him directly about his devotion as she gave up on the subject in the end, fearing that question will make Goku resent her greatly.

"No, I have no need of this chocolate anymore." Lucia said, running away.

"Lucia, wait!" Rina called out to her, but it was useless. Goku heard someone calling for Lucia and he noticed her running in the direction towards the other doors leading outside and it was enough for Goku to immediately recognize her.

" _There she is."_ Goku thought before he nervously smiled towards the group of girls. "I'm really sorry girls, I would love to eat all those chocolates, but I'm already stuffed." He declined politely, rubbing the back of his head before he noticed his two classmates. "Hey Daichi, Kengo, why don't you try these chocolates over here? I'm sure they taste great. Gotta boogie!" He immediately darted outside to chase Lucia.

"Man, how dense he can be? Doesn't he know that when a girl offers chocolate to a boy means that she likes him?" Daichi said.

"Ah well, as far as we are concerned, we would be happy to accept your chocolates." Kengo said. Both of them kneeled gracefully, but they were immediately shunned away with a huff from the group of girls, departing elsewhere.

"Why Kengo?" Daichi said.

"Should we call this a rejection?" Kengo said, both of them whining in comedic fashion.

Goku chased Lucia all the way outside the school building, but when he looked around, she was nowhere to be found, believing that she went home.

" _Darn, I missed her. Come on Lucia, where are you? I need to talk to you."_ Goku thought. When he tried to sense her energy, she was nowhere to be found in the direction he was looking. He soon gave up and returned inside the building, not knowing that Lucia hid in the corner near the school entrance away from his sight or knowledge, leaning silently with closed eyes and sad frown.

" _Goku, I promise that I will remain a mermaid that you remember. It's probably for the best, for both of us."_ She thought sadly, with a single tear dropping on a small package in her hands. She simply didn't have the courage to ask him directly whether he liked the mermaid or her human self. She has no doubt whatsoever that he cared about both of them, but which one he likes the most? She had enough of all this questioning in her mind as she departed to the beach away from school to hopefully clear her mind and decide whether or not she should make up on her inward promise.

* * *

At the same time, deep within the ocean, Gaito called for Sara in his private quarters.

"Today the humans are celebrating a ritual where they offer gifts to the people they love. Tell me Sara, what would you like for me to give you? Say the word and it shall be done." Gaito smiled.

"My dear Gaito, there is only one thing I desire, to see you rise and conquer this world, to see the entire human race grovel at your feet." Sara smiled slightly with sinister intent.

"Patience Sara, that day will come soon enough and there is nothing that can prevent that." Gaito smiled before he immediately frowned seriously. _"Except for one. Goku."_ He thought with a slight anger. Then they heard a witless banter from the four Dark Lovers on their way to him.

"Well, it looks like a noisy bunch is on their way here. I'll be on my way." Sara bowed slightly before she departed. Gaito watched as she departed, but soon enough, the water demons arrived.

"Master Gaito, how do you fare?" The four of them said simultaneously, hiding something behind them.

"What do you want? Speak quickly." Gaito frowned in serious tone. Usually when he is not with Sara, he is doing something important in his chambers alone, from anyone's knowledge other than Sara's. The four water demons immediately slided in front of him in a comedic row, offering their gifts to him.

"Here you go master Gaito, a love-made chocolate." Eril said.

"The Valentine's Day is a day for chocolate." Maria said.

"So, which chocolate you like the most?" Yuri said.

"You love the chocolate made of sea hedgehog?" Izure said.

Gaito said nothing as he shrugged them instantly. Who do they think they are? They are _his_ creations, how could he possibly accept their love when _he_ created them? They are his servants and nothing more.

"I don't like sweets. Now leave me alone." Gaito said in low and serious tone. The four Dark Lovers dragged themselves outside in disappointment.

"Well, there goes my love-made chocolate." Yuri frowned disappointingly.

"Yeah, my sea hedgehog chocolate is now a complete waste." Izure said.

"Something doesn't fit here. When I walked inside, I smelled a scent of a beautiful woman in that chamber." Eril said angrily.

"How do you know by scent that the woman was beautiful?" Izure raised her eyebrow in annoyance.

"Of course I do. It was a scent of a mature and beautiful woman." Eril said, with a comedic white and angry eyes.

"Are you saying he is seeing another woman besides the Black Beauty Sisters? Could it be the case because we weren't capable of capturing the mermaid princesses so far?" Maria asked.

"What?! Are you saying master Gaito has a lover of his own?!" Izure exclaimed.

"Then we have no time to waste, time to do something about that. Let's go to the surface and finally fulfill our mission." Eril said in determination. The other three water demons nodded in agreement and all of them departed soon after.

* * *

Sometime later, they made a stand where they were selling a bunch of wrapped up chocolates to all the girls passing by. Hanon and Rina were on their way home, since the classes ended early because of today's festivity. Rina stopped in her tracks as soon as she noticed their enemy.

"What is it Rina?" Hanon asked curiously, looking in the direction Rina was watching. She too noticed four water demons selling chocolate for some reason.

"The Dark Lovers? What are they doing here?" Hanon asked, frowning in alert.

"I have no idea, but they are definitely up to no good if all four of them are there." Rina said.

Maria suddenly stopped and looked at the present in thought, raising Izure's curiosity.

"What is it Maria?" Izure asked.

"Wait a minute Eril. You said that these chocolates hold a substance that will reveal a mermaid princess when they eat it, right?" Maria asked.

"Yup, ingenious plan right? As soon as they take a bite of it, they will reveal themselves!" Eril said cheerfully. Izure and Yuri sweat-dropped and bowed their heads down in utter anger and embarrassment as they too realized how obnoxiously stupid this plan was.

"Eril, isn't it a tradition for girls to give the chocolate to boys during Valentine's Day? That means that the boys will eat them instead which means that we are trying to sell this insane pile of chocolates for nothing!" Maria exclaimed in anger, infuriated that she was stupid enough to follow Eril's tactics.

"I don't believe this, this is the last time that I will go along with your idiotic plans Eril!" Yuri insulted.

"Then we will have to force the women to eat these chocolates instead!" Eril exclaimed, flailing her arm in her temper tantrum.

"Geez, what a moronic plan." Rina sweat-dropped in annoyance.

"I guess it goes with them, they always think of something really stupid." Hanon said.

"In any case, let's show them how they should not parade in the city so lightly hunting us down." Rina smirked.

"Agreed, let's do it." Hanon nodded. The two mermaids then started to assume their Idol Forms.

"Voice of the Blue Pearl!" Hanon exclaimed.

"Voice of the Green Pearl!" Rina exclaimed.

After they were done, they left to confront their foes.

"I had enough of your moronic ideas, this is the last time that I will go along with you and your idiotic brain!" Izure exclaimed.

"Fine, then I will stuff these chocolates into the girl's mouths myself!" Eril exclaimed.

"Now that we won't allow." Hanon and Rina said simultaneously, immediately drawing attention of the four Dark Lovers.

"How dare you try to undermine this sacred event where a woman confesses their love to a man?" Hanon said, folding her arms.

"We won't allow you get away with your schemes." Rina boldly declared.

"See? I told you, the plan worked!" Eril immediately tried to make her plan look good, but it failed miserably.

"Don't give yourself too much credit, your plan is moronic." Hanon frowned.

"Now let's send them back to the depths of the sea where there is no love or chocolate." Rina said.

"Live for you, mermaid voice!" Hanon and Rina said as they started to sing.

"The seven colored wind  
blows across the long plateau.  
At the peak  
A nostalgic song was playing.  
And before the dawn  
I could hear a melody.  
And I knew  
That this song,  
Would only bring joy and love."

"Look to the east,  
What do you see?  
Little birds flying far away.  
They,  
Are flying off to a place,  
Full of love,  
It's like a treasure."

"The seven seas have always been my paradise.  
A place where all the love in my heart is realized.  
Even after,  
a night in the storm,  
The joy in my heart,  
can always be reborn.  
Listen to the melody of seven lands.  
It will always be here till the very end.  
Even if no one remembers this,  
I won't forget.  
Legend of the sea."

"Loving power of the mermaids!" Hanon and Rina pointed at the four water demons, signifying her finishing move.

"How about an encore?" The two mermaids said. The four Dark Lovers whined childishly as they disappeared back into Gaito's castle.

"Huh, serves them right." Hanon huffed in annoyance.

"You could get sick from too much chocolate." Rina winked.

"Well, that takes care of that, let's go home." Hanon smiled.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Rina said. Then the two mermaids departed.

* * *

Meanwhile, far away from the city, Lucia departed to the beach near the Mermaid Cave, sitting on the sand on a bright daylight in thought. She was still deciding on what to do with Goku. She was really ambiguous about her decision, but she won't do anything unless she heard from Goku himself. If he says that he cares about her more than mermaid, then she would be overjoyed. But if it's the opposite, she will have no choice but to slink back into the sea and remain as nothing but a mermaid that he remembered.

"Hey Lucia." A familiar voice suddenly said. Lucia turned around curiously to see who it was.

"Goku? How did you find me?" Lucia asked, standing up. Goku changed in his fighting uniform after school, because he was more comfortable in it before he left to search for Lucia on his Flying Nimbus.

"It's simple, I just sensed your energy and followed you here." Goku smiled.

"Sensed… my energy?" Lucia's eyes went slightly wide in surprise, blinking a few times.

"Yeah, it's a pretty useful technique if you have trouble finding someone the old fashioned way." Goku grinned widely, tapping his head as a gesture. Lucia stayed silent for a second before she asked.

"Goku, is it true that you are going back to Mount Paozu?" Lucia asked, knowing that the mountains where he was going implied to his home at Mount Paozu that she visited once with him.

"Yeah, I wanted to tell you that myself, but someone must have overheard me when I talked to the principal and the story probably leaked out throughout the school." Goku smiled, scratching his chin bashfully. "But don't worry, I am only going to stay there for a few days." He reassured. But even though it slightly eased Lucia's worries, there was still something else she needed to know.

"Hmm? What's wrong Lucia, why are you so sad?" Goku asked when he saw her sad expression. After a few seconds of gathering her courage, she proceeded to finally ask him the question.

"Goku, there is something I was meaning to ask you." Lucia asked, turning her gaze away from him and into the sea.

"Sure, what is it?" Goku asked with innocent expression.

"Do you remember about that story you once told me?" Lucia asked.

"What story?" Goku asked, having no idea what she meant.

"The story about the mermaid that saved you long ago." Lucia asked. Goku walked forwards and stopped next to her.

"Oh yeah, I remember. What of it?" Goku asked.

"Well, do you still think about her?" Lucia asked in low and slightly sad tone.

"Do I think about her? Well i… umm…" Goku stopped, looking towards the sea blankly, rubbing his head. In all honesty, he never forgot about the mermaid, but he thought about her less the more he was hanging out with Lucia. He always had such a blast with her every time that the thought of that mermaid was reduced to being almost a sweet memory, despite her being actually out there somewhere.

Unfortunately, Lucia took it as a sign that he was thinking about the mermaid despite all the times that they shared.

" _Just as I thought, he still can't forget about the mermaid, even after all this time."_ She thought, forming tears in her eyes. She doesn't have a doubt that he cared about her human self too, but it would seem that he cares about her as a friend and not a girlfriend, her confidence plummeting lower than the ground as she turned the opposite direction.

"What is it? Hey, where are you going? Wait!" Goku exclaimed.

" _I can't stand in front of you anymore, I don't want you to like me. As long as you remember me as a mermaid, I will always be in your heart. It's enough for me, my dear Goku."_ She thought sadly as she continued to run from this hopeless charade. But this time Goku frowned seriously as he grabbed her arm to stop her, determined to tell her the truth.

"Lucia, please wait." Goku frowned.

"Please Goku let me go, forget about me!" Lucia exclaimed, desperately trying to escape, but there was no use. Her arm was locked in his gentle, but iron grip.

"Listen to me Lucia, there is something really important that I need to tell you, please!" Goku said seriously. Lucia's eyes went wide at his statement.

"Huh? Something important?" Lucia asked. Could it be that he will finally confess his love after all this time?

"Yeah." He said, letting go of her arm as she turned to face him. "And it has something to do with the tournament that I will participate." He said honestly. It wasn't something that Lucia hoped for, but it was also a question that she needed answer from. Maybe he will finally reveal to her the cause of his troubles about the tournament.

"Just stay, you don't have to say a word, but hear me out. Please?" Goku smiled. After a few seconds, Lucia silently nodded.

"Now sit down, this might take a while." Goku said in a gentle, but serious voice as he sat on the sand. She was rather surprised to see Goku so serious than he was moments before. The only time he was this serious was when he fought Gaito. She obliged as she silently sat next to him on the sand, but Goku did not turn his gaze from the horizon as he had to be absolutely honest, even though he knew of the possibility that she may consider him crazy after he tells her of his battle against King Piccolo. But he knew he could trust her, he knew her long enough to be sure of that fact. He sighed deeply as he started remembering those unpleasant days during Piccolo's rampage.

"I never wanted to tell you this because I didn't want you to worry, but…" Goku stopped. Even now Lucia was worried of what could trouble Goku, he who showed no worry in the world when she was hanging out with him this entire time.

"You see, there is someone else who will participate in The World Martial Arts Tournament. A guy who is pure evil and I fought him three years ago. His name is… King Piccolo." Goku frowned seriously. Lucia blinked a few times as she never heard of the evil overlord.

"King Piccolo?" Lucia asked. Goku was slightly surprised that she never heard of him. Now he didn't want to tell her the story since she was oblivious to Piccolo, but now that he started, he might as well finish it.

"Yeah. It all started three years ago when a monster named Tambourine, who served King Piccolo, killed my friend Krillin." Goku said seriously. Lucia gasped in shock, covering her mouth with her hand.

"He killed your friend?" Lucia said in slightly shaky tone.

"He did, but unfortunately Tambourine was nothing compared to King Piccolo when I fought him back then." He frowned, starting to have flashbacks of those times.

"After me and my friend Yajirobe killed Tambourine and another monster named Cymbal, King Piccolo himself came to challenge me. I was so consumed by anger that I immediately charged at him." Goku frowned seriously.

" _You will pay for all the pain you caused my friends!" Kid Goku said._

" _He's quick!" Elderly King Piccolo said in surprise._

"At first I had the upper hand against him when we started the fight, but later he revealed that he was holding back in his power. After I knocked him down, he decided to fight me seriously." Goku said in serious tone, remembering how he knocked down elderly King Piccolo, but the villain merely laughed it off as he got up.

" _You are the reason I have exterminated the martial arts society." King Piccolo said as he was removing his robe. "Anyone with your level of skill…" he then threw the robe behind him. "… deserves to be terminated!" He said. Then his eyes started to glow and he unleashed vile winds in Goku's direction as he powered up to his maximum._

" _Now, let's try this once more." King Piccolo said in a cocky tone before he charged at Goku._

"After he powered up, it was then that the tables have turned on me. He was extremely old back then, but his power was amazing. For the entire fight, he was running circles around me, I didn't even had a slightest chance of beating him. Not even my Kamehameha Wave had any effect on him at all." Goku said seriously as he remembered how Piccolo shrugged off a direct hit of his energy attack with a muffled laugh.

"Was he really that strong?" Lucia said worryingly with a sad frown.

"He was." Goku said simply.

" _It's about time we say goodbye… boy." Elderly King Piccolo said in a low and grim tone._

"He wasn't even fighting me seriously, he was toying with me the entire time. And after he got tired of playing, he decided to finish me off." Goku said.

 _King Piccolo charged his Makosen energy attack. Goku managed to evade his first blast, about to attack him from air, but Piccolo fired another Makosen at Goku, the impact of the attack paralyzed him in midair, his heart stopped beating and his limp body fell down on the ground with a hard thump. The rain followed soon after as elderly King Piccolo closed in._

" _So, this is the best that the human race has to offer?" King Piccolo said disappointingly as he gazed at supposedly dead Goku. He then kneeled to check his pulse on his chest with his hand. "The boy's heart is cold. It is over." He said in satisfaction, taking the Dragon Ball hanging around his neck and laughing sadistically._

Lucia gasped silently in shock, a few tears forming in her eyes. It pained her immensely how someone tried to kill her Goku.

"He… he killed you? But how is it you are still alive?" Lucia said in shaky and shocked tone, her eyes wide in mixture of shock and amazement of his endurance.

"To be honest, that energy attack _should_ have killed me, but somehow I managed to survive it. Even though I wasn't dead, it severely drained me of my strength. That's why I asked Yajirobe to take me to Korin's Tower where I could continue my training and be strong enough to defeat King Piccolo. Yajirobe climbed the tower with me on his back all the way to the top, where we met Korin again." Goku explained, having flashback of reuniting with Korin.

" _You climbed all the way here with Goku on your back? You must be very strong and pretty stupid." Korin said casually._

" _Master Korin, it's great to see you again." Goku greeted him warmly._

" _Wait, that's Master Korin?" Yajirobe said in shock to find the famous Korin he heard about to be nothing but a cat._

" _Yo." Korin said as he appeared from behind the pillar before he glanced towards Goku. "So Goku, why did you come here? What do you want me to do?" Korin asked._

" _I came here because there is this terrible monster named King Piccolo, somebody has to defeat him. That's why I came here to continue my training with you." Kid Goku said in determination._

" _You want me to train you again?" Korin asked._

" _Yeah, just like the old days." Goku said excitedly, pumping his fists. But Korin turned away from him in disappointment._

" _Sorry my boy, but to be completely honest, there is nothing left for me to teach you." Korin said._

" _What do you mean nothing?" Goku whined in disappointment._

" _I know how badly you want something new to use against Piccolo, but I'm all tapped out. It's not like I gave you a crash course the first time around, you mastered the master." Korin explained. Goku merely blinked a few times in disappointment._

" _Still, that won't be enough, many great warriors have tried what you are attempting." Korin said. "But he managed to kill everyone!" He exclaimed in frustration before he sighed. "That monster even killed Master Roshi." He said. These news shocked Goku to the core._

" _WHAT?! KING PICCOLO KILLED MASTER ROSHI?!" Goku yelled in a high-pitched tone._

" _Yes." Korin simply nodded. He felt really sad that his first student died. Even though it took Roshi three years to pass his training, he was still his favored student, next to Goku._

At that point, Lucia's face went blue when he told her about Master Roshi being killed.

"Wait a minute Goku. If your teacher Roshi was dead, how is it that we saw him in person when he came here?" Lucia said in trembling tone, shocked and horrified at the discovery. If Goku's teacher was killed, how is it he was still alive? They saw him recently when he visited Goku.

"I'll get to that." Goku smiled to Lucia before he looked at the sea seriously again. "I was so furious that he killed not only Krillin, but also Master Roshi. The only thing I had in mind is to kill that monster, until Korin stopped me." He explained. This story was getting more bizarre by the minute, but Lucia decided to listen carefully all the way to the end and answer the question of his teacher who he said he was killed, but was still alive.

" _Hold it! You mustn't face him in anger!" Korin yelled, trying to stop Goku from killing himself._

" _I have to fight him, he has taken too many lives already!" Goku said angrily._

" _Cool down and listen for a minute. If you seek him now, he will kill you." Korin warned, but Goku didn't listen, with revenge the only thing in his mind._

" _I don't have a choice, I am not scared and I am not gonna hide in the tower." Goku said. With that bold declaration, Korin had to go with ulterior solution if Goku is truly not afraid to die._

" _Well, if he is not afraid of death, I guess he could take a sip." Korin said in low tone, but it was enough for Goku to hear him._

" _What?" Goku wondered._

" _Ultra Divine Water." Korin said._

"Ultra Divine Water? How is it different from the Sacred Water that you told me once about?" Lucia raised her eyebrow curiously. She was inwardly starting to be a little skeptical. If it was anyone else, she wouldn't believe him, but this was Goku and seeing all of the outlandish things he's done in his fights and the places he visited, the friends he met, she wouldn't be surprised.

"Well, there is a big difference. The Sacred Water I told you about was nothing but ordinary water, something that Korin told me after I took the bottle from him." He looked towards the horizon before he smiled to Lucia. "But the Ultra Divine Water was the real deal. If anyone could find it and drink the glass of it, then he will be super strong." He smiled. Lucia's eyes went wide with childish glee.

"Wow, that's amazing! So if I were to drink this Ultra Divine Water, would I be super strong too?" Lucia asked with childish expression. If that's true, then she and other mermaid princesses would have a significant advantage in their battles. Goku merely laughed light-heartedly, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple Lucia." Goku smiled before he continued. Lucia pouted in disappointment.

"What do you mean?" Lucia asked with innocent expression.

"Well, first you have to find it through a massive icy maze. It wasn't easy to find it through all those corridors. Also you had to evade this giant ice monster that guarded it to even get to the place where Ultra Divine Water is. Also, you had to face this guy named Darkness who guards the water. Me and Yajirobe finally managed to reach it, but then it turns out that the water itself was more dangerous than the dangers we faced." Goku explained.

"It was? How?" Lucia asked.

"You see, Darkness told me that it was very dangerous and that you must be both physically and mentally strong to even survive drinking the Ultra Divine Water. Also, he told me that the water itself won't make you stronger unless you have some kind of special power within you. If you don't have it, then you will die." Goku frowned. Lucia went slightly blue in the face before she chuckled nervously.

"Well, never mind then." Lucia said. Goku merely smiled at Lucia. She can be so cute when she is all nervous like that. Then he frowned again in thought as he continued.

"It was an extremely agonizing experience, but I managed to survive it and after me and Yajirobe managed to return to Korin's tower, I could feel in my entire body the incredible increase in strength and power. Even I couldn't believe how strong I have become." He then smiled as he glanced towards Lucia. "Also at that point, the increase in energy somehow gave me the ability to sense power levels, which is how I found you in the first place." Goku said.

"Oooh, so that's how you got it." Lucia said, now realizing how he gained that ability. Goku glanced again towards the horizon.

"But by the time i reached the Ultra Divine Water and flew towards King Piccolo on my new Flying Nimbus, he kept himself busy in past few days. Not only did he use the Dragon Balls to wish for his youth back, he killed every martial artist in the world and he also destroyed most of the city where he stayed in. And, if I didn't make it in time, he would have killed Tien Shinhan, who was fighting another one of King Piccolo's monsters." Goku said.

"Tien Shinhan? The same Tien you fought in the tournament?" Lucia asked. Goku nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah. After I killed his monster named Drum with a single kick, I faced Piccolo next." Goku explained. It was at that point that Lucia was a little lost with those monster's names.

"Umm, sorry to interrupt you, but I have to ask you something. Why are Piccolos' monsters named after musical instruments?" Lucia raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"I don't know, guess music was his hobby in spare time." Goku joked, laughing sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. Lucia cracked into fit of laughter, which also made Goku laugh with her. They both had a good laugh before they finally settled down. Lucia even wiped a few tears of laughter from her eyes.

"Please go on, sorry I interrupted you." Lucia smiled.

"Nah, it's okay." Goku smiled. He then frowned seriously again. "So, after I have beaten Drum, I faced Piccolo himself. Not only was he younger, but he was also a lot more powerful than he was when he was old. He tried to finish me off with a single chop, but I managed to block his attacks and threw him onto a building." Goku said.

"Cool." Lucia said. Goku smiled at her for a second before he frowned again.

"But just like the last time, I had the upper hand against him, but that time I knew he was holding back his true power. The fight lasted for a good while before he decided to fight me at his best." Goku said, having flashbacks of how he had beaten King Piccolo into the ground.

 _He sent a flurry of punches, delivered by four consecutive hard kicks, which made him stumble back and paralyzing him in place. But he soon wiped the blood from his mouth and smirked at Goku._

" _It feels good, doesn't it?" King Piccolo said before he stood upright. "We are no different, you and I, we both love inflicting pain. It's an intoxicating feeling, isn't it?" He smirked, but Goku merely frowned with stern gaze full of vengeance, but also of a true warrior who craved for a challenging fight._

" _Stop talking and fight. Where's all your power? You said you'd finish me, I'm still waiting." Kid Goku said sternly, clenching his fists in front of him._

" _My, aren't we sharp today? Oh, you don't miss a thing, do you?" King Piccolo grinned with killing intent. "You see, if I were to fight you at full strength, my life wouldn't last as long. However, why save all the fun for later when we can party right now?!" He said before he started to scream, his power rising to his absolute maximum. The ground beneath him started to shatter, but Goku didn't even flinch as he waited for Piccolo to finish powering up. Soon Piccolo started to glow with yellow, bright light as a show of his enormous power, but it quickly died down as he finished powering up, grinning wickedly at Goku._

" _I hope you're ready to die." King Piccolo said before he charged towards him, with Goku doing the same._

"I was rather impressed at how strong he was when he powered up, he was almost as strong as me. But still, the battle was really long and intense, none us gave in even for a second. But one moment in a fight, he caught me off guard with his eye lasers and aimed on my right leg. I had to rely on my power pole to get back into the fight." Goku smiled before he frowned seriously. "But when he knocked the Power Pole from my hands, he sent a powerful energy attack that destroyed the entire city and everyone in it." He said. Lucia gasped slightly in shock, holding her hand on her mouth as she couldn't believe at how brutal King Piccolo was.

"He killed all those people?" Lucia said in a shaky and shocked tone, forming a few tears in her eyes as a sign of compassion towards the countless innocents killed by King Piccolo.

"Yeah. In truth, I would have died as well if it wasn't for Tien rescuing me from that blast. He caught me and flew as high as he could to evade the attack, but he used up all of his energy to do it. Piccolo fired another energy attack, but it was a lot weaker than the last one and I managed to block it. And when I got back into the fight, he used up most of his energy into those last two energy attack and he was unable to beat me." He then frowned further. "And that's when he went desperate and he took Tien hostage, threatening me that he will kill him if I didn't give up." He said.

" _Now look who is in control, I think you'd agree I have the upper hand." King Piccolo laughed sadistically, crushing Tien's head slowly._

" _Stop it! Leave him alone!" Kid Goku exclaimed angrily._

" _You do as I say or I will really put a squeeze on your friend." King Piccolo threatened. Goku called his bluff as he took step forward, but he was immediately stopped. "Don't move! You take one more step closer and I will give this guy a headache he is never gonna forget." He threatened again._

"I had no choice in the matter, if I made a move then Tien would die, especially when the Dragon Balls were turned to stone for good." Goku explained.

"Now I'm really confused Goku. First you told me that Roshi died and yet we saw him visiting us. Then you said the Dragon Balls turned to stone for good and yet your Dragon Ball is back home, orange with four stars. I don't understand any of this, can you please explain it to me?" Lucia insisted, completely confused.

"Calm down Lucia, I'll get to that part soon." Goku smiled. He frowned again as he looked towards the horizon, continuing his story. "King Piccolo said that he destroyed Shenron, the Eternal Dragon and that there was no way to use the Dragon Balls ever again. He threw a few rocks with great force on my left arm and left leg, which left me with only one good arm to use. After he released Tien, he then flew high in the air and went for killing blow." He explained, having flashbacks of those vital moments that decided their battle and sealed King Piccolo's fate.

" _You're mine!" King Piccolo exclaimed._

" _That's what you think buddy! I still have one arm left that I can use!" Kid Goku exclaimed in unbridled courage and determination, even if most of his body was crippled._

" _WHAT?!" King Piccolo exclaimed._

"It's then that I used all of my energy to launch myself in the air and threw a powerful punch right through Piccolo's chest." Goku said.

" _It's time for your terror to end!" Kid Goku said as he extended his right arm and aimed onto King Piccolo, with a silhouette of a Giant Ape behind him emitting a powerful roar. He then punched straight into his evil adversary and finishing him for good. But during his fall, due to being out of energy, Yajirobe managed to catch him in midair. Both of them laughed at their victory, while Tien smiled, relieved that it was all over. Or so it seemed._

"So you won! I knew you couldn't be defeated!" Lucia smiled brightly. Goku smiled before he continued.

"After my battle against Piccolo, there was no way to wish anyone back to life but we found a solution in the end." He then smiled towards Lucia. "You see, the reason why my Dragon Ball is all orange and with stars and the reason why Master Roshi is still alive is because we wished him back to life. When I said that the Dragon Balls have the power to grant you any wish, that also included bringing people back to life, but only those who were killed and not by natural death." Goku explained.

"Oh I understand now." Lucia sighed deeply in relief. "Thank goodness, for a second I thought Master Roshi was a walking undead or something." Lucia laughed nervously. Now that she thought about it, she remembered that Goku told her that he used the Dragon Balls to revive Bora, Upa's father after he fought Mercenary Tao. She felt silly that she forgot that important detail.

Goku laughed loudly at her statement.

"No Lucia, don't be silly." Goku laughed. He then smiled. "And not only was Master Roshi revived, but also Krillin and all of the innocent people that were killed by King Piccolo." Goku smiled. Lucia smiled brightly at his incredible deed.

"Wow, I'm so relieved that everyone were brought back. You are truly incredible Goku!" Lucia said cheerfully as she looked at Goku with happy and loving look. Goku merely snickered childishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, I didn't really used the Dragon Balls. It was actually Bulma and my friends who used them. But before we could even use the Dragon Balls, I had to go above Korin's Tower all the way to the Lookout. There I met Kami, the Guardian of the Earth, and his assistant Mr. Popo. I pleaded for him to bring back the Eternal Dragon and restore the Dragon Balls and in the end, he did." He smiled.

"Oh, I think I understand everything now. You first had to revive the Eternal Dragon, so you could use the Dragon Balls to wish all those people back to life." Lucia smiled brightly, solving the pieces of the puzzle in her mind that she found rather confusing up till this point.

"Yeah, exactly." He smiled before his face went serious against as he glanced towards the horizon. "But, he also told me something else. He agreed that he would restore the Dragon Balls under the condition that I train there with him and get stronger. Don't get me wrong, I was excited to train there, but Kami told me that Piccolo survived." Goku said. Lucia's eyes went wide in shock.

"What?! He did?!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Yeah. Kami told me that he preserved his essence by spitting out an egg that contained all of his memories, techniques and powers. He also told me that he will appear again at the next World Martial Arts Tournament, which is why I spent more than 2 years training at the Lookout. When I finished my training, I came to South City where I could continue my intense workout." He then smiled towards Lucia. "To be honest, I'd rather prefer training at home in Mount Paozu, but Bulma told me that I needed to go to school and she found me home where I live now. Soon after, you and i have first met at the beach and from that point on, you know the rest." Goku smiled. Lucia smiled gently as she blissfully remembered that day when they first met after seven years. He had that goofy smile on his face when he wanted to talk to her and he innocently checked on her when she blushed, believing that she was sick or something.

He then glanced towards the sea again with serious frown.

"And that's pretty much it. In a week, the tournament will begin and I will definitely fight Piccolo in the finals." He then looked towards Lucia with an apologetic frown. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier Lucia. I just didn't want you worry about it. It was something that I had to keep for myself. First, because I thought you wouldn't believe me. And second, I have no idea how strong Piccolo is now. He was definitely training hard in the last three years and I can't say for sure that I can beat him, because I don't know how strong he had become." Goku frowned towards the horizon.

But Lucia merely smiled gently and closed her eyes, cupping her hands like she was about to pray.

"I know you can win Goku." Lucia said in supportive and blissful tone.

"Huh?" Goku said, looking innocently at Lucia.

"I have full faith and confidence that you can beat Piccolo again. It's true, I was always afraid that you would get hurt or worse, but you always managed to be on top." She said, having flashbacks of his skirmishes against the Dark Lovers and his fight against Gaito. "Your strength and power is truly incredible Goku. Even when things got tough, you refused to give up fighting to protect those you love. But despite your immense strength, your kind-hearted nature is your greatest virtue above all things." She continued, remembering how he looked at her lovingly back in North Pacific and during school when he was laughing childishly while she was hanging out with him.

"When you fight for those you love, no force in the world can stop you." She then opened her eyes and looked at him lovingly. "I believe in you Goku. I believe that you will win and come back home safe and sound." She then smiled cutely. "And then you and I can hang out together as we always do." She said, blushing slightly in embarrassment as she looked away from Goku.

Goku's heart soared at her words of kindness and support, smiling brightly as he looked towards the horizon.

"I knew it." Goku smiled.

"Huh?" Lucia said, looking at Goku innocently.

"I had a strong feeling that I can trust you Lucia. Somehow I knew you would understand and I'm glad that I was right about that." Goku smiled at her. Lucia looked at him with eyes filled with joy that Goku is actually starting to connect with Lucia in some way. He then stood up and Lucia did the same soon after.

"And I promise that I will win at the tournament Lucia, you can bet on that." Goku said with determined look.

"In that case, I have something for you." Lucia looked down shyly, blushing slightly as she hid a small, wrapped up chocolate behind her.

"What is it?" Goku asked curiously. Lucia then showed the chocolate to Goku.

"Here you go, a chocolate for Valentine's Day. It's small and not really homemade, but I would love you to have it. It would mean so much to me." Lucia said shyly, her head still bowed down, but looking at him with the cutest smile she could give to him. Goku's heart simply melted when she looks at him like that. He was no fool, he knew exactly what Valentine's Day was all about, thanks to Bulma, and he knew that Lucia cares about him when she is offering him a chocolate on this special day. He then gently took the little package from her.

"Thanks Lucia, I appreciate it." Goku smiled. Lucia stayed silent for a few seconds before she looked at Goku again.

"Goku, when will you come back from Mount Paozu?" Lucia asked.

"I'm not really sure, but I promise that I'll be back as soon as I can." Goku said, pumping his right fist in front of him.

"Please do, I promise that I will wait for your return. I'll even make food for you when you get home." Lucia looked at him in pure happiness, her eyes shining with joy and tears of happiness forming in her eyes. Goku was so entranced by her look that gave him this unbelievable sensation in his heart, almost at the brink of exploding in happiness. He was always a cheerful and carefree person, but he never experienced this amount of happiness before, especially when he has that tingling feeling in his heart when her eyes paralyze him in place.

"You truly are an amazing person Lucia. Of all the people I ever met over the years, I _never_ met someone like you. You are always so cheerful and happy when we hang out in school or outside of it and you are always so kind to everyone. I can't explain it, but for some reason I always have a blast when I'm with you wherever we go. I don't know how to explain it but… I simply enjoy being with you." Goku said. The incredible sensation that overcame him made his words flow through his mouth like he was doing it for forever. And Lucia is the only girl that he ever knew that can fill his heart with overwhelming happiness and emotion that he never felt before.

Lucia's heart melted at his words.

"Goku, I'm so… so…. Happy." Lucia said in unimaginable joy, closing her eyes. She couldn't believe it. Goku actually cares about her and not the mermaid. The mermaid became indeed a memory and nothing more.

"I'm glad you are." He smiled before his eyes went wide all of a sudden. "Oh, before I forget, I have something for you." He said, taking something from his pocket and hiding it with his right arm. "Give me your hand." He said. Lucia was taken aback a little, but she slowly extended her right hand. Goku then slid something in her ring finger. Lucia's heart skipped several beats then she saw a ring with a pink heart shape and a small blue heart at the bottom right of the pink one. Goku had no damn idea what to give to Lucia in return for all the food she made for him. Since he noticed that a lot of girls love jewelry, he decided to buy a ring for Lucia. The shopkeeper suggested to Goku to buy the same ring that he gave her now.

Lucia clutched her right arm in the amount of joy she can't describe. Hear heart simply melted that there was a lover in Goku after all.

"Goku." Lucia said in a low tone, tears of joy flowing down her cheeks and sniffing a few times. Goku took it as a sign that he made her sad instead.

"I'm sorry Lucia, I didn't mean to make you cry." Goku said apologetically, scratching his chin in embarrassment. But Lucia immediately hugged Goku, burrowing her face on his chest, taking him by complete surprise.

"I'm crying because I'm happy, you goof. I'm so unbelievably happy." Lucia said in a low tone. After a few moments, Goku hugged her back, smiling cheerfully. Soon Lucia broke from the embrace and looked at him with all the love she could put in her gaze. This time Goku didn't flinch as he looked at her with a gaze that at the moment felt so natural to him.

"Lucia." Goku smiled.

"Goku." Lucia said.

Then, with overwhelming sensation consuming them both as they locked their gazes to each other, they closed their eyes and leaned closer and closer into a deep, loving kiss full of innocence. This was something that had no explanation or reason for Goku, but right now, nothing else mattered. The Dark Lovers, Piccolo, everything was erased from his mind as he completely lost himself in the kiss that he shares with Lucia.

As for the pink mermaid, she couldn't even describe how happy she was. Even the very word felt as an understatement. Now, without a shadow of a doubt, she knew that Goku loves her, a fact made evident when he willingly leaned to kiss her, just like she did to kiss him. She will always love him, in this world or the next and she knew that no matter what, Goku will always be there by her side. Just like she will always be by his, especially in his upcoming battle against Piccolo.


	17. Chapter 17

~The best laid plans~

Three days have passed since Goku departed back to his home in Mount Paozu. During that time, Lucia felt immensely happy since their true, loving kiss. She never expected from Goku to be the type to express his emotions outright. Even though he was kind of clumsy in his confession, it was music to Lucia's ears as she knew that Goku cared about her, even though he never said that in specific words. Still, it would be even better if Goku knew that she and the mermaid are the same person, but this was a suitable alternative until his memories were restored on their own, hopefully before the World Martial Arts Tournament, where they could walk to the fighting stadium arm to arm.

However, she was starting to be concerned about King Piccolo that Goku told her about. She was true to her belief that he can beat Piccolo again, but still, if he got even Goku all worked up like that, then that guy may prove to be more terrifying foe than Gaito. She called for Hanon and Rina in her room to inform them about this evil being that Goku will face in the tournament.

"King Piccolo?" Hanon and Rina said simultaneously.

"Yes. From what he told me, he was unbelievably strong monster that Goku barely defeated three years ago. He was pure evil, he destroyed the entire city in attempt to kill Goku." Lucia frowned sadly before she looked at her friends.

"Well, if Goku beat him once, then I'm sure he can do it again Lucia. You said yourself that you believe in him and that he will be on top again when he beats him." Hanon smiled.

"I know I did, but… I can't help but be worried about him girls." Lucia frowned sadly as she looked down at the floor. Hanon sat next to Lucia, placing her hand on Lucia's shoulder.

"I know how you feel Lucia. You are worried about him and his safety and I understand that, but he is no ordinary human. You have seen for yourself that he can hold his own against anyone, even Gaito." Hanon smiled. Lucia smiled gratefully to her friend.

"Either way, Piccolo is not our concern at the moment. Gaito is." Rina frowned slightly, making Lucia and Hanon look at her in slight surprise. "By your description, he will only cause trouble at the tournament, right? So let's forget about Piccolo for the time being and focus on taking Gaito down." RIna frowned angrily before she turned sideways towards the door. "He has already caused too much pain. We don't need two evils to deal with at the same time, we already have enough to contend with." Rina said angrily before she walked outside, leaving Lucia and Hanon in surprise by her sudden anger.

"What's gotten into her?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Maybe this whole Gaito thing is getting to her more and more." Hanon said before she looked towards Lucia, frowning slightly. "I wouldn't be surprised, he destroyed both Rina's kingdom and mine, along with Noel's." Hanon said.

"Don't worry Hanon, we'll find her and make Gaito pay for all the people that he ever harmed. I promise." Lucia frowned in determination. Hanon was surprised by her strong will, but then again she only shows her sensitive side when it comes to Goku.

"Well, looks like you were hanging out with Goku so much that his fearlessness rubbed off on you. Along with other things, I bet." Hanon said teasingly, elbowing Lucia playfully. Lucia blushed heavily at her suggestive topic.

"Shut up Hanon, it's nothing like that!" Lucia shouted in embarrassed tone, making Hanon laugh at her expense, making Lucia pout angrily.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep beneath the ocean, Gaito was walking around the hallways, looking for someone left and right.

"Sara! Where are you?! Answer me!" Gaito called out, but to his annoyance, the Black Beauty Sisters were passing by.

"Master Gaito, who is this Sara you are calling out for?" SheShe asked. Gaito gave her a look for sticking her nose in his personal matters.

"It's none of your business. Now begone!" Gaito commanded before he departed, leaving the sisters with confused expressions.

"Hmm, it would seem that master Gaito is greatly disturbed by something, sister Mimi." SheShe said.

"Indeed, I wonder who could that Sara person be anyway." Mimi asked.

About a minute later, Gaito was sitting near the ornamented purple windows overlooking the dark sea. He was looking through the window in deep thought about his beloved.

" _Sara, I know there is something in the surface world that is occupying your thoughts and it won't grant you rest. It's as clear as day, but what exactly is troubling you?"_ He thought, closing his eyes, trying hard to figure out the situation. _"I don't want to lose you, ever. I'm sick of the years of loneliness in the darkness of the ocean floor."_ He sighed in a mixture of frustration and pain that he felt in his heart. Overtime his bond with Sara grew stronger, that is something he can't deny. Even though it was a relationship based on loneliness, the very thought of Sara abandoning him was inconceivable.

* * *

At the same time, far away into the vast reaches of Mount Paozu, Goku was sitting down with folded arms and legs, meditating on a grassy field near a massive lake, with hills and long mountains covering the horizon. This place was one of many that he and his grandfather Gohan usually visited when they were off training. Even though he was training extensively during that period, the whole reason why Goku returned home was because he was facing the emotional chaos for reasons he can't explain, which is why the familiar sight of his home might help him balance his emotions. This happened ever since he met Lucia. In the beginning, it was a rather insignificant matter that he shrugged off every time, but as time passed and as he grew to know Lucia more and more, the bond with her was increasingly stronger, especially after they kissed only three short days ago. Not only that, he was constantly having these flashbacks of his fight against four Dark Lovers in an unknown pink hall, especially the flashback of a grey-haired robed man.

" _So, you must be a human that is giving my Dark Lovers so much trouble. Goku, was it?" The man said arrogantly._

But the flashback disappeared as quickly as it came. He knew those flashbacks were connected somehow, but every time he was close to knowing the answers, it just slips away. He then opened his eyes as he looked down. Then he thought about Lucia again and her sweet smile that always made him feel happy.

" _What is this emotion that I'm feeling right now? It's so warm, yet so overwhelming."_ He thought, clutching his chest, feeling his every heartbeat. _"It feels great, yet at the same time it makes my whole body feel funny."_ He then sighed deeply.

"I wish grandpa was here, he would know the answer to this." Goku frowned slightly as he looked towards the lake.

"Answer to what, my boy?" A familiar person suddenly said from behind him. Goku turned around, but was shell-shocked to find…

"Grandpa?! But how?!" Goku shouted in utter shock and surprise, his eyes wide.

"It's been a long time Goku." Grandpa Gohan smiled. Goku laughed cheerfully at seeing his grandfather again.

"It really is you!" Goku smiled widely, running towards his grandfather and hugging him in pure joy. Goku and Gohan laughed before they broke the hug.

"You have grown so much, my boy. And you have gotten a lot stronger since the last time we fought." Gohan smiled.

"Yeah, but what are you doing here grandpa? I thought Baba said that you can only come here for one day." Goku asked curiously.

"Yes, that is true, but when I first arrived, I only spend about four hours before I fought you all those years ago, which could explain that silly mask I had. It was a rather last minute call as I remembered that I needed a disguise to fight you." Gohan joked.

"Yeah, it looked kinda silly." Goku laughed slightly before his face went blank again. "But wait, does that mean you can keep coming back until you spend an entire day?" Goku asked. Gohan shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, this is the final time that I can come here." Gohan said, sitting down on a grass with Goku towards the lake. " It is an extremely rare case for a dead person to walk into the world of the living twice, but I asked Fortuneteller Baba to bring me here because something was troubling you in the last three days. I knew it wasn't an opponent that was troubling you, you even managed to defeat an unfathomable evil that is King Piccolo." Gohan said with slight frown.

"You know about King Piccolo?" Goku asked, his eyes slightly wide in surprise.

"Only in rumors, there was a lot of commotion in the Otherworld when King Piccolo was defeated. I was honestly surprised that it was you who beat him. I'm so proud of you, you became an amazing fighter and a true hero." Gohan smiled at his grandson.

"Thanks grandpa." Goku smiled, though it wasn't entirely accurate. He defeated King Piccolo, but he will have a rematch with him at the tournament through his reincarnation. Apparently he doesn't know that, so it's for the best if he keeps that a secret.

"So you came all the way from the Otherworld because I was troubled by something?" Goku raised his eyebrow curiously.

"Well, not entirely. You see, I work part time with this lady called Annin. At one point I made her really angry because I made a slight malfunction in this big cauldron of hers." He explained.

"Oh, so you work there as a cook or something?" Goku smiled with childish curiosity. It wasn't inaccurate, he was working at a cauldron. A very BIG cauldron and it wasn't the normal type that Goku certainly has in mind.

"Well, I guess you can say that. This was a perfect occasion not only to escape her for a while, but also to help you with you dilemma." Gohan smiled as he looked at Goku. "Speaking of which, what is troubling you my boy? This is the first time as long as I know you to be so down in the dumps." Gohan asked.

"I'm not grandpa, it's just… there is this girl that I met and…"

"A girl?" Gohan cut Goku mid-sentence. "Well, I don't see why would a girl trouble you so much Goku. There is nothing wrong to take a liking to a girl." Gohan smiled.

"No, it's nothing like that. It's just, we have been hanging out for months in South City and… " Goku the looked at the lake. "I don't know, she is probably the most amazing girl I have ever met. Every time we would hang out in school or somewhere outside, we always have so much fun. I have this awkward feeling across my entire body, especially after we kissed. It feels amazing, yet so overwhelming." He explained.

"You kissed with this girl? My, how wonderful, I'm so happy for you. And what is the name of this lucky young lady?" Gohan smiled.

"Oh, her name is Lucia, she lives in South City." Goku smiled.

"Lucia? Well, judging by your description, I say you fell in love with this girl, especially after you kissed." Gohan smiled.

"Fell in love?" Goku asked with childish curiosity. "So is that how love feels like? I asked Bulma about it, but she didn't really explain it to me." Goku said.

"Bulma? Oh, you mean that friend of yours with blue hair?" Gohan asked.

"Yeah. She didn't really tell me much about it, other than love can't be explained, but has to be experienced. She told me that I would recognize it on my own in time." Goku said.

"Wise words indeed. There is nothing to be ashamed or afraid of being in love Goku, it is a natural process that everyone experiences in their lives. Even me." Gohan smiled as he looked towards the lake.

"You were in love too?" Goku asked curiously.

"I wasn't always a can of old, you know." Gohan narrowed his eyes slightly before he looked at the lake. "I was once a dashing young man, I travelled throughout the world much like you. One day, I met this beautiful young woman who was working as a housemaid in one of the noble's houses. Soon enough, we fell in love with each other and we got married." Gohan smiled at the fond memory of his wife.

"Umm grandpa, what do you mean by getting married?" Goku blinked a couple of times in confusion, not knowing the concept of marriage. Gohan pondered how to simplify that question for him.

"It means living together with a girl that you love for the rest of your life." Gohan smiled at his grandson.

"Oh, okay." Goku said simply. Gohan let out a muffled laugh. Goku was always a simple boy, despite the recent events that occurred for him.

"We lived a happy life together for fifty years, we even had a son of our own who grew up to be an amazing person. But unfortunately, my wife, your grandmother, died out of virus that struck the town that we lived in and my son died years later in a car accident. After their passing, I left into the mountains and lived in a home that you know all too well of." Gohan said. He looked at the lake for a before he turned to Goku with a smile to dismiss that morbid memory. "And I found you in the woods ten years later. If you truly care about this girl, then you should never let her go. But then again, since you already kissed each other, then I'd take it you two are already a couple." Gohan said.

"What do you mean? Like boyfriend and girlfriend?" Goku asked with childish curiosity.

"I guess I never told you about it. Yes, when a boy and a girl kiss each other, then that means they are a boyfriend and a girlfriend." Gohan smiled as he looked at Goku.

"Really? But there was this other girl that kissed me before Lucia. Does that mean she is my girlfriend and not Lucia?" Goku asked, implying to the mermaid and the time that she kissed him in the pool after his skirmish with Izure.

"Well, was it a true kiss?" Gohan asked.

"I don't know, I guess. It was only one time and that was months ago. I can't really explain it, but when Lucia kissed me, it felt a lot better. Maybe that's the reason why my whole body feels so funny." Goku said as he looked at his arms. Gohan laughed at his predicament.

"It is completely natural my boy. That is an indication that you love this girl." Gohan then glanced towards Goku. "I'm truly happy for you, grandson. I hope you and Lucia have a bright and happy future together." Gohan smiled.

"Thanks grandpa." Goku smiled. Living together with Lucia never really crossed his mind until Gohan mentioned it. It would be great to have her around all the time. Not only that, eating her amazing food would be a big plus for him. But he didn't make that decision yet. For the time being, he let those thoughts slide as he wanted to make most of the time he would spend with his grandfather in a few short hours he has been given before he returns to the Otherworld for good.

* * *

Later that day in the afternoon, a familiar, but shrouded figure was heading inside the school building, holding a mysterious golden key in a shape of a water horse, with a sinister intent in her mind. Soon enough, the figure reached the large classroom where Taro is playing his composition on his piano, his eyes closed in thought.

"This room has the shades of color like the sea in the sunset." The shrouded person said, breaking Taro from his thoughts.

"What?" Taro said, looking at the figure who appears to be a woman in white dress and shroud. But her voice sounded extremely familiar.

"Mitsuki, do you still remember those beautiful days that we shared?" The woman asked in a sarcastic and dry voice. But Taro didn't notice as he was overjoyed to reunite with the mermaid that he fell in love with. Sara.

"Of course I do, I could never forget those days. You have no idea how much I missed you." Taro smiled, having flashbacks of the moment that he and Sara were kissing long ago. But Sara slammed on the piano which surprised and slightly shocked Taro at her aggressive behavior.

"And yet you tore apart the composition that we made together into tiny pieces." Sara said angrily. Taro silently looked at Sara in guilt. "My heart was tainted in unimaginable pain and suffering. And then…" She then placed her hands on her head, painfully recalling the day and the transgressions that she wrought in her state of suffering years ago.

" _What do you mean by that?! Why would we have to break up because of my duties as a Mermaid Princess?! I never chose to be one in the first place!" Sara cried out in pain and fury. Due to Sara's overwhelming negative emotions caused by their break up, the amount of negative energy accumulated in her pearl was so inconceivably drastic that it caused destruction of cataclysmic proportions, destroying her kingdom and everyone in it, reducing it to ruins. Not only her kingdom suffered from her uncontrollable wrath, but the entire area around her kingdom, sending tidal waves in all directions, consuming everything in their path. The same tidal wave that nearly drowned Goku when he was a kid, which lead to chain of events that transpired till this day._

"I was the one who destroyed my beautiful kingdom!" Sara said in a tone mixed with anger and pain. Taro immediately stood up to aid her.

"Sara." He reached her hand, but Sara slapped it away and her shroud slid back, revealing her angry face and her black hair which was as black as Goku's.

"Your hair. Did it went black because of the sorrow you felt?" Taro asked, now realizing the severity of his actions and feeling guiltier than ever before, his heart aching at the sight. This was not the sweet mermaid that he knew all those years ago. This angry and grudge-filled person was something that he wrought from his foolish decision.

"I have lost everything Mitsuki. Not that you care anyway." Sara said in dry voice.

"What are you talking about, don't…"

"Save it." Sara interrupted angrily, extending her hand and revealing a golden key she carried.

"What is it?" Taro asked.

"An invitation to the ocean floor. But know that you may never return to the surface if you undergo this dangerous path. I wonder if you have the courage to do it." Sara said before she immediately departed, leaving Taro to kick himself for the damage that he caused. He didn't mean to hurt her, but he did anyway. Whatever this key meant might lead him to Sara again and he is willing to risk it.

Outside of school building, Hanon and Rina were still waiting for Lucia to come out, but she didn't for some reason.

"Man, what's taking Lucia so long?" Hanon asked.

"Let's go and find out." Rina said, with Hanon nodding in agreement.

As for Lucia, she was still in the classroom, sadly looking at the empty seat where Goku usually sits. She then sat down on his seat, leaning her head on the table. It was nothing new for her to be separated from him, she was away from Goku for seven years after all. But after months of being in Goku's company, her bond with him was greatly strengthened, especially after they shared a true kiss. These last three days felt like an eternity, it just wasn't the same without him and his cheerfulness that always warmed her heart.

" _Goku, I want you beside me."_ Lucia thought. She couldn't prevent the single tear from dropping on the heart ring that Goku gave her. She knew that Goku told her he'll be back as soon as he is able, but she can't help but feel lonely without him. Moments later, Hanon and Rina found Lucia with her head pressed on her arms on the table.

"Lucia?" Hanon said. Lucia smiled sadly as she looked at them.

"Oh, hey girls." Lucia said.

"Come on, cheer up Lucia. We will always be there for you." Rina smiled.

"You are never alone Lucia." Hanon smiled.

"Thank you Hanon. Thank you Rina." Lucia smiled gratefully, wiping her glossy eyes.

As they made their way outside, they heard two students talking to each other.

"Have you heard that Mr. Mitsuki is resigning?" A male student asked.

"Yes, I heard he is departing somewhere far away." A female student answered. This information surprised Lucia and Rina, but shocked Hanon.

"Taro is resigning?" Hanon said in surprise.

"That's strange, why would he do that?" Rina asked curiously.

"I wonder if it has anything to do with that mermaid princess Mr. Mitsuki told us about." Lucia frowned slightly.

"If so, then let's find out." Hanon frowned as she walked forward.

"Wait, where are you going?" Rina asked.

"To Taro's house, I need to know the answer to this." Hanon said in determination, heading outside.

"Hey Hanon, wait up!" Lucia called out, heading towards Hanon to catch up with her.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the three mermaids arrived at Taro's doorstep. They knocked on the door to find Taro still home. He was rather surprised by their arrival, but he invited them in nonetheless, offering them cup of tea, the only thing he had left since it was a surprise visit. Hanon looked around to find the furniture covered in white sheets. Taro was really planning on leaving.

"So girls, how can I help you?" Taro asked politely.

"Mr. Mitsuki, are you really leaving? Please tell me." Hanon asked out of desperation, though she hid it so it wouldn't become apparent.

"Yes, but even I don't know where." Taro said.

"What do you mean by that?" Lucia asked, a little confused by his answer.

"I don't know, but i have to anyway, then I will surrender my fate in the hands of a water horse." Taro said.

"Water horse? But why?" Hanon asked, wondering where he is going with that enigmatic statement.

"I simply have to. Let me ask you something. If you knew you hurt someone badly long time ago, what would you do?" Taro asked with slight frown. Hanon's eyes went wide in surprise at the question. "Let's say that the person you care about the most ended badly because of the pain you inflicted on her."

"What are you talking about? I don't understand." Hanon wondered. Taro merely smiled gently in response, closing his eyes.

"It's probably for the best, it's something that I hope you never experience." Taro said.

* * *

The night passed and the three mermaids left home scratching their heads about Taro's mysterious intentions. They could confirm that the reason he is leaving was indeed because of the mermaid princess, but the part where his fate will be determined by the water horse left them into a halt. But it wasn't until Hippo revealed that the water horse was in fact a sealed key, an artifact that he had in his possession before. From that point, Hippo was determined to locate Taro and discover where exactly will the key lead him. The three mermaids immediately joined him, especially Hanon.

About thirty minutes later, they were hiding in the grass on a lone beach, waiting for Taro to show up. Hippo proved to be correct as Taro indeed arrived.

"Look, there he is." Lucia frowned, concerned for his wellbeing.

"He seems to be in a hurry." Rina said.

As Taro made his way into the sea, a faint aura emanated around the golden key, which Hippo immediately noticed.

" _There it is. A Sealed Key."_ Hippo thought. As Taro was only a few steps away from entering the water, the aura around the key increased in size, covering Taro completely. Taro had no idea how the key worked, but it would seem that the key worked on its own, Sara's handiwork no doubt.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go." Hanon frowned.

"Right." Lucia and Rina nodded, immediately catching up to Taro. The mermaids were completely baffled at how Taro can use that key to swim underwater without a problem, though they had big doubts that it was Taro himself who utilized the abilities of that item. But Hippo knew better as the key works on its own somehow, guiding Taro wherever the key is set to go.

"Taro, wait!" Hanon called out for him, but was immediately silenced by Lucia.

"Keep your voice down. Please, show some patience, we need to see where is he going and who is calling for him. My guess is either the water demon or a mermaid." Lucia frowned seriously at the situation.

"How did he even get that key in the first place? He seems to have no problem whatsoever breathing underwater." Rina asked. Hippo remained silent behind the mermaids, a guilty expression on his face apparent, but the mermaids were too caught up in pursuing Taro.

"You again?" A familiar voice said from their right.

"Karen?" The three mermaids said.

"What are you doing here?" Lucia asked with childish expression.

"I noticed a strange light emanating in this direction and I headed to see what it was about. Do you girls know by any chance where is it heading?" Karen asked.

"No idea, we are still drawing a blank, but we will find out soon." Rina said. Hanon looked sadly how her beloved is drifting away into the unknown. But moments later, they heard a familiar, but sad song in the distance. The eyes on a water horse shaped key glowed and the gates of Gaito's palace suddenly revealed. Soon enough, Karen caught sight of Taro too.

"Look, it's Gaito's castle! How did that human know where it is?" Karen asked,

"That's not the worst part. Look!" Lucia frowned as she pointed at the black mermaid behind the gates. It was Sara, who was singing her sad song that she used to vaporize the tidal wave days ago.

"Taro!" Hanon yelled, swimming as fast as she could to catch up to Taro.

"Hanon, wait!" Rina exclaimed. But as Hanon made contact with the faint aura around Taro, a burst of yellow energy struck at Hanon, sending her backwards with a moderately strong force. Lucia and Rina caught their stunned friend.

"Hanon, are you alright?" Lucia asked.

"Taro, please, turn around and look at me! You have to snap out of it, please!" Hanon desperately called out, but to no avail. The gates were opened and the black mist poured from it. The mermaids came to a complete halt as they closed their eyes, temporarily blinded by the mist. But in Sara's and Taro's place, The Black Beauty Sisters arrived on the scene.

"Well well, look who decided to pay us a visit." SheShe smirked.

"Indeed. How about we sing you mermaids a welcoming song?" Mimi said mockingly. On cue, the sisters were enveloped in a signature red aura.

"Showtime!" The evil sisters exclaimed as they started a singing performance of their own in all its glory.

"Now it's too late, for everything.

For everything, save for trouble"

"Rule is the same for everything else,  
None of us is victorious.  
In darkness you are all lost.  
Those who fight us are submitting right now."

The four mermaids screamed in unbearable pain, trying with all their might to fight back, but to no avail.

"All weary souls are swayed to our side,  
when our will is shattered by evil misdeeds.  
now it's all fun  
but time will come  
when there is no hope for you."

"We are the masters of sorrow and grief,  
You will find no harmony in our lead.  
When fear grips you,  
know that your fear is well justified."

"Rule is the same for everything else,  
None of us is victorious.  
In darkness you are all lost.  
no one dares to fight the sisters."

"Now it's too late, for everything.

Get ready for the incoming pain."

Fortunately, Taro dropped the key as he disappeared into the mist, allowing Hippo to get it as fast as he could. He was in proximity of the key, so he was able to fight through the pain and go for it.

"The key! I must get it." Hippo said, barely reaching for it with his tiny arms, but after a good struggle, he reached for it.

"Got it. Finally, after a long time of searching, It's finally back in my possession." Hippo sighed in relief. Now with the power of the key, Hippo shed his penguin form as he started to transform. He glowed with bright white light and his body increased greatly in size, taking the shape of a majestic, white water horse. He had large, feathery wings, his upper body of a horse and the lower body is formed only by a long tail, with yellow hair stretching from behind him, from head to tail. The mermaids were shocked at his transformation.

"Impossible!" Rina exclaimed

"A mythical beast Hippocampus." Karen said.

"At long last, my original body, along with my powers, are finally restored." Hippo said in deep and regal voice. "It is my duty to protect the mermaid princesses and that's what I'm gonna do." He then glanced towards the sisters. "Now, time to show you what I can do in my true form." He said.

He then charged towards the sisters. They side stepped to dodge the attack, which made the mighty beast only break their red aura. But Hippo did not stop there as he made a barred roll sideways so the two sisters could both be in front of him. He then spread his wings wide, ready to unleash one of his devastating attacks.

"Mighty Hurricane Fury!" Hippo exclaimed, flapping his winds so hard that it sent hurricane winds, enveloping the sisters in an unbreakable, strong tornado. The mermaids could feel the intensity of the winds as they struggled to stay in place.

"Man, these winds are strong!" Lucia exclaimed through the loud winds, barely hearing herself.

"I didn't know Hippo had this kind of power all along!" Rina exclaimed, also trying to make the other mermaids hear what she said.

The Black Beauty Sisters yelled as they were spinning around, trying to break free, but to no avail. Hippo's eyes then went yellow as he unleashed a lightning-like beam of energy that struck the sisters with strong force, paralyzing them as they were falling. But Hippo used the opportunity as he swung his tail and smacked them hard, sending them crashing onto the nearby rock, pinning them. After several seconds when the dust cleared, the sisters shook their heads, trying to regain their focus, growling in anger at this new and powerful foe in front of them.

"Damn him! Just what we need, another Goku to deal with." SheShe growled angrily.

"He caught us by surprise, it won't happen again." Mimi growled. Then the two sisters disappeared and retreated into the castle. With the battle over, Hippo once again assumed his penguin form, since hippocampus form was too big to be used in the surface.

But Hanon didn't pay attention at all as she looked at the distance where the black mist dissipated, her eyes glossy.

"Taro? Taro, my love, where are you?! Taro! TAROOO!" Hanon yelled, desperately calling out for him fruitlessly. Lucia, Rina and even Karen felt bad at seeing Hanon in a state of desperation and sorrow. As soon as they managed to calm Hanon down, they went back to the hotel, so she can recover from the shock of Taro's imprisonment.

* * *

The next day, Hippo and the mermaids gathered in the living room. Karen also tagged along, deciding to stay with them as Gaito and his servants are growing bolder by the day and fighting them alone would be pointless.

"Alright Hippo, you clearly have some explaining to do. We didn't know about your hippocampus form or the fact you had this key in your possession. So let's hear it." Rina said in serious voice, but not too strict.

"Please tell us Hippo." Lucia said in a more gentle voice.

"I guess I do. Here's how it went." Hippo sighed slightly before he started. "Five hundred years ago, a terrible rebellion lead by the evil goddess Lilith was quenched after invoking the wrath of Aqua Regina. She saw that the Panthalassa threatened to destroy this world, so she wiped the entire army and split Lilith's power in two: Darkness and Light. The dark power was locked in the depths of the sea. It was unknown when it would manifest, until now. From one guardian to the next, The Sealed Key was given to them so that they may prevent the Panthalassa from ever escaping. In recent years, I was given the charge of safeguarding the relic." He then frowned sadly. "But unfortunately, at one point, the key was stolen from me and now Gaito and his goons roam free, threatening the world once again."

"So the person who stole your key was Sara?" Karen asked.

"Yes." Hippo nodded.

"But still, I was surprised that _you_ were the mythical hippocampus." Lucia smiled.

"Well, now you know that up until now, I wasn't able to transform into that mythical beast without this key. It wasn't just a key to Gaito's prison, but also a relic that allows me to transform and utilize the powers you have seen me employ." Hippo explained.

"So now that we have the key, can we seal away Gaito and his castle once and for all?" Rina asked.

"I'm afraid that is impossible while the castle is on the move. But our only chance is to summon Aqua Regina and with her help, we might be able to do it." Hippo said.

"But wait, what about Goku? Surely he can beat Gaito again, just like he did before." Lucia said.

"I'm afraid we can't rely on Goku right now, he is too far away to be of any help to us." Rina said. But Hanon had enough of this pointless banter. She was already heartbroken by the fact that Taro was taken away, and now that she learned that it was all because of Hippo's mistake that this all happened, it was infuriating.

"Hippo, how could be so careless to let them take the key from you? If you weren't so absentminded, then none of this would have happened and our kingdoms would have lived in peace." Hanon said angrily, kneeling down and grabbing Hippo by his small shoulders. But Hippo said nothing as he bowed his head down in shame, realizing his mistake.

"Hanon." Lucia frowned sadly.

"And now Taro is kidnapped in Gaito's castle, imprisoned for all eternity! You find that castle and bring my Taro back to me! Bring him back, do it!" Hanon yelled in mixture of anger and sorrow, shaking Hippo in desperation.

"Hanon, don't be so harsh on Hippo, he didn't deserve it." Rina said

"I hate you Hippo!" Hanon cried, running in her room to vent her sorrow. Lucia and Rina frowned sadly as they understood her pain, but there was nothing they could do at the moment to help her.

"I'm sorry Hippo, Hanon became very sensitive ever since Taro was taken away, please forgive her." Lucia said in gentle voice.

"No, Hanon is right, it is my fault that all of this had happened. I allowed the key to be stolen and because of my foolishness, all of this chaos ensued. The kingdoms destroyed, its people fleeing to seek shelter, Gaito roaming free to do as he pleases." Hippo said in defeated voice, closing his eyes. "I don't even deserve to be called guardian anymore. I failed Aqua Regina and the entire marine world." He said, dropping the key from his grasp. Lucia and Rina have never seen their little Hippo so defeated before. It's true, he made mistakes, but their hearts broke when they saw their friend like that, his spirit shattered and his determination withering away.

But Nicole frowned as she kneeled down in front of Hippo, taking the key that he dropped.

"Look Hippo, what is done is done, the past cannot be changed. But we can still save the future if we all work together and stop Gaito before it's too late." Nicole frowned slightly before she smiled, placing the key in Hippo's hands again. "Now pull yourself together and show them what you are made of."

"That's right, we believe in you Hippo, you can never let us down." Lucia smiled brightly.

"I agree with Lucia. We will set things right… together." Rina smiled. Hippo's eyes went all teary in happiness that they don't despise him.

"Thank you girls. Thank you so much." Hippo said in shaky voice, in mixture of happiness and sorrow. Lucia, Rina, Karen and Nicole smiled at their little protector. There is no use in tossing blames and the only way to defeat Gaito is working together, something that they will definitely go for. But deep In Lucia's mind, she hopes that Goku will return soon and lend his incredible strength to them.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Gaito's castle, Taro fell under Sara's spell as he sat on the chair like a statue and endlessly playing the piano in an empty room.

"Mitsuki, you do understand that you will spend the rest of your days in this room? All alone in this room in the darkness of the ocean floor." Sara frowned. But despite her anger, she continued to have these flashbacks of the beautiful times they shared. No matter how hard she tried to suppress them, they keep coming back to haunt her.

" _Why? Why is this music affecting me so much?"_ She thought, remembering the moment where they kissed long ago _. "Why do I keep recalling those times? Why can't I just forget about them?"_ She thought. But she yet again suppressed those memories as her anger started to grow, her compassion replaced with thoughts of vengeance.

"It is too late now Mitsuki!" Sara said angrily, tossing the rose she had in her hand right in front of Taro, but he didn't even flinch as he was completely entranced by her spell. "You will stay here forever! This will be the punishment for all the pain you caused me!" She said angrily before she went out, slamming the doors behind her.

At the same time, Gaito didn't even notice his new prisoner that Sara brought into his castle as he was preoccupied with his other, more important matters as he gazed at the imprisoned mermaid princess in her isolation chamber.

" _I have to form a plan on how to lure my other half to me. It's the only way for me to win over Sara's heart for good. The only way to reach my full power and fulfill her desires."_ Gaito thought. But almost on cue, Sara appeared from behind him.

"Be honest Gaito. Who were you thinking about as you gazed at the mermaid princess?" Sara asked curiously.

"Who else but you, Sara?" Gaito smiled.

"Me? Really?" Sara smiled.

"Soon, I will fulfill my promise and the entire world will be yours." Gaito said.

"Soon?" Sara asked.

"Will that satisfy you?" Gaito smiled. Sara cracked a smile of her own.

"Of course it will, Gaito." Sara said.

"Then you can celebrate right now, my dear Sara." Gaito smiled, looking at her for a moment before he eagerly departed to fulfill his plans and Sara's wish. Sara looked at Gaito before she looked at the chamber where Noel is imprisoned.

"I wonder if you are truly capable to grant me the entire world." Sara said, having small doubts about his promise, mainly because she heard of his defeat at the hands of a human named Goku. She is yet to see if he will defeat him this time, only then she can be certain.

"You summoned us, master Gaito?" SheShe arrived at Gaito's call, along with Mimi.

"Indeed. I'm letting you know that I will be in my chambers alone and I don't want anyone to disturb me." Gaito frowned slightly. SheShe and Mimi looked at each other in slight confusion. "I have to prepare myself for a grand conquest."

"So the time has come to finally conquer the surface world?" SheShe asked.

"But master Gaito, why would you invade that old and filthy cesspool?" Mimi asked.

"The surface world will be mine for a single reason. A very important one." Gaito frowned.

"And may we know what reason is that, master Gaito?" SheShe asked. Mimi cracked a smirk as she knew the answer to that question.

"Let me guess, is that reason someone called Sara?" Mimi asked mockingly. But Gaito gave her a look as she struck the nerve, making him slap her hard in the face. Mimi recoiled in pain as she lost her balance and fell down.

"Be silent! Obey my command and don't you ever question me again." He said angrily as he walked away, leaving the two sisters baffled at his aggressive behavior.

"Sister Mimi, are you alright?" SheShe asked, helping Mimi get up, who was rubbing her throbbing cheek.

"Why did he had to do that? I didn't deserve this at all." Mimi whined.

"Don't you think he is getting out of hand recently?" SheShe asked.

"He definitely is, someone who is affected by a woman like that doesn't have what it takes to conquer the world." Mimi said angrily.

"In that case, we don't belong here anymore." SheShe grabbed Mimi's chin, making her blush at her gentle touch. "It is time to leave Gaito and work on our own terms, don't you agree sister Mimi?"

"Just the two of us?" Mimi asked.

"That's right, we will collect all seven pearls by ourselves. Now come, my dear sister, let us form a plan together, so we can rule the seas without Gaito's aid." SheShe said. The sisters giggled maliciously as they departed to their destination.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gaito is sitting on his throne in a private chamber where he can focus his power with no interruptions.

"The time has come for me to fuse with my other self. Once I accomplish that, I will achieve my ultimate potential." Gaito said, closing his eyes and starting to glow with purple aura of energy, concentrating on his telepathic abilities.

At the same time, Kaito travelled all the way to Hawaii so he can find the answers to the question that was recently formed. He discovered from the letter that his aunt sent him that he was actually an adoptive child of his parents that he knew his entire life. The reason why he chose Hawaii specifically is because he recalled the times when he was surfing with his father as a child. He was convinced that memory might give him a jump start to help him find the answers.

" _Mom, dad. If I am not your child, then whose child am i? How do I know where do I come from?"_ Kaito thought, fruitlessly trying to discover the truth on his own. But suddenly, a big wave appeared from behind him, consuming Kaito and pulling him down into the deeps. Kaito slowly started to wake up as he found himself surrounded in darkness.

"What, where am i? What happened?" Kaito said. Then a familiar laughter can be heard in the distance. The voice soon took form of a man that he was familiar with. That man was Gaito.

"You again? What do you want this time?" Kaito frowned.

"I came here because I need to know. Have you made your decision yet? About that human you hate?" Gaito asked. Kaito had flashback of Goku's angry face when he argued with him that time at the beach.

"Is that the sole reason why you came?" Kaito said.

"No. This time, I came for you Kaito." Gaito said.

"You came for me?" Kaito asked curiously.

"Indeed. My other half." Gaito smirked. Kaito was confused by his words.

"What are you blabbering about?!" Kaito exclaimed.

"I'm talking about your opportunity to achieve the power you need to defeat that human Goku. If you join me, that power can become a reality." Gaito smirked.

"I have no idea what you are talking about!" Kaito exclaimed angrily, but Gaito merely laughed slightly in arrogance.

"Oh, you'll know soon." Gaito then disappeared. The water now started to flood inside Kaito's mouth, making him lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen.

"Kaito? Kaito, are you alright?" Lucia asked. Kaito slowly opened his eyes as he started to regain consciousness, but was greatly surprised to find Lucia of all people in Hawaii, along with Hanon and Rina.

"Lucia? What in the world are you doing here?" Kaito asked curiously.

"We were passing by and we saw you unconscious on the beach. We were worried sick about you when we found you like that." Lucia frowned sadly. Then Kaito stood up, along with Lucia.

"So you are skipping on school just to visit Hawaii?" Kaito asked.

"Hanon and I can skip classes easily and we always catch up quickly." Rina said.

"That is true. But Lucia on the other hand will be in a lot of trouble." Hanon teased.

"Hey, that's not true!" Lucia whined childishly, making Hanon and Rina laugh.

But Kaito was more focused on that robed man and the words he said to him.

" _Have you made your decision yet? About that human you hate?" Gaito said._

"Wait a minute, what about Goku? Shouldn't he be here with you?" Kaito asked.

"He is training back home as usual. I swear, that guy needs to get a hobby." Hanon said.

"Yeah, he told us that he has to prepare himself for something." Lucia smiled. Kaito frowned as he looked towards the sea.

But suddenly, the storm clouds enveloped the city and tremors started to shake the ground beneath them. An inexplicable chaos suddenly ensued, the screams of its citizens could be heard in every direction as a powerful earthquake shook the city's buildings to its foundations, its structures torn apart one boulder at a time.

"We have to move. Now!" Kaito exclaimed, grabbing Lucia's hand and running forward, with Hanon and Rina right behind them. Lightning shot from multiple directions and many people were dying from the falling debree or from the large fissures that were starting to open. Kaito growled as he didn't know how to save his friends, especially Lucia.

Then, a massive boulder fell crashing down on Hanon and Rina, breaking every bone in their bodies, dying on the spot.

"Hanon! Rina!" Lucia cried out, tears of sorrow forming and flowing down her cheeks, shaken by the death of her best friends.

"Lucia, we can't stop, we need to find a safe place!" Kaito exclaimed, pulling Lucia by her arm and continuing to run forward. But after ten minutes of fruitless running, a small rock fell on Lucia's head hard, knocking her out and falling down.

"Lucia!" Kaito exclaimed. But before he could reach her, she suddenly disappeared in a blur, surprising Kaito greatly.

"Lucia? Lucia, where are you? Lucia? Answer me!" Kaito called out for her, frantically looking left and right. But after he turned around, he was surprised to find Goku, holding Lucia in his arms bridal style with that stern look on his face. Judging by the situation, he did not look friendly. Goku went to the right and gently leaned Lucia on a horizontal boulder straight enough for her to lie down. He then stood up and looked at Kaito with a battle-ready frown, with a vein popping on his forehead.

"You murderer! You are the one responsible for all the innocent people that died here! And you were going to do the same with Lucia!" Goku growled angrily.

"Have you lost your mind, you brickhead?! I didn't even do anythi-" Kaito was cut short by an elbow strike to the face from Goku, sending him rolling on the ground backwards like a ragdoll. After a few seconds of lying down completely motionless, he slowly stood up, growling angrily as he rubbed his throbbing cheek. It felt like he was hit by a train.

" _I'm talking about your opportunity to achieve the power you need to defeat that human Goku. If you join me, that power can become a reality." Gaito said._

Kaito shook that flashback aside as he focused on angry Goku, spitting out blood to his right.

"So much for talk." Kaito said, clenching his fists to his sides. Goku took a fighting position, ready to fight.

Little did Kaito know that chaos surrounding him was actually a powerful illusion conjured by Gaito, who was sitting on his throne in his private chamber, with purple aura of energy emanating from his body as he focused on summoning Kaito to his domain.

" _Find your power, my other me, so we can finally become one."_ Gaito thought.

* * *

While Gaito's plans are slowly coming to fruition in his quarters, SheShe and Mimi had something else in mind. They left to find Gaito's room where it contains the pearls that he collected. They found them resting on two of the seven tips of a crown, with the crown itself resting on a pedestal, waiting for Gaito to don it on his head when his victory is absolute.

"There they are." SheShe smirked.

"Let's take them while they are still within reach." Mimi suggested, with SheShe immediately nodding in agreement. SheShe took dark-blue pearl, while Mimi took yellow pearl.

"My, they have a lovely appearance. They will look even better when we collect all seven of them and conquer the seas for ourselves." SheShe smiled maliciously.

"Indeed sister SheShe, we should have done this a lot sooner." Mimi smirked, with two sisters leaving the room and walking across the hallway.

"Now, let's leave this morbid place for good, there is no point in staying here anymore." SheShe said. Mimi silently nodded in agreement. But while the sisters formed a plan for an invasion of their own, they were monitored by the four Dark Lovers from the distance.

"Those backstabbing witches! Look at them, strolling away with those pearls without a slightest care of the repercussions." Maria frowned.

"We need to inform master Gaito about this." Eril said.

"No, he told us not to disturb him." Yuri interjected.

"In any case, we need to follow them and see what they are going to do with those pearls." Izure suggested, with other three water demons nodding in agreement. Then all four of them departed to follow the Black Beauty Sisters from a safe distance.

* * *

Back at the hotel, Rina, Karen and Hippo were sitting in the guest room at one of many tables lined up. Lucia was standing near the glass wall overlooking the balcony, frowning sadly as she looked towards the sky.

"What's wrong Lucia?" Rina asked curiously as she stood up and got near her.

"Nothing. I'm just a little worried about Goku, that's all. He didn't write for a while." Lucia said.

"Does Goku even know how to write a letter?" Rina raised her eyebrow. Lucia's eyes went slightly wide as she forgot that Goku doesn't write at all, not even in school.

"Uhh… well, he doesn't." Lucia said nervously, scratching her chin before her face went straight again. "But he could have at least called or something."

"Goku doesn't even have a phone. Even if he had one, he wouldn't know how to use it." Rina said. She wasn't far from the truth, Lucia has never seen Goku with a phone since day one.

"Well, that's true. When I visited his home in Mount Paozu, he didn't even had a shred of technology there, not even a phone." Lucia said before she frowned sadly. "I only hope nothing bad happened to him."

"Here you go." Hanon suddenly said from behind them, serving five green juice glasses for them to drink. What surprised the three mermaids and Hippo more so is that Hanon was smiling. She wasn't her angry and sad self like before.

"Why don't we have a drink? We won't accomplish anything if we walk around all moody, am I right? Here you go Hippo." She smiled as she gave a glass of juice to Hippo, which surprised him greatly. Earlier today she despised him for failing to save Taro, but now she seems to have forgiven him.

"Is that really for me?" Hippo asked in surprise.

"We have to work together if we are to find Gaito's castle, that's why we need your help too Hippo." Hanon smiled. Hippo was so relieved that even few tears formed in his eyes, immensely happy that she doesn't hate his guts anymore.

"Right." Hippo nodded in agreement. Lucia, Rina and Karen smiled at Hanon. They understood her pain, but they were proud to see her so strong-willed and so relieved that her hatred for Hippo disappeared. But it wasn't long until Lucia's attention returned to Goku as she looked back through the glass wall.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, a loud and crushing punch can be heard as Kaito was flying like a ragdoll straight through an obstruction and rolling on the floor a few feet away. He was bleeding from most of his wounds across his entire body and he has multiple broken bones, most notably his dislocated left arm. Kaito growled as he looked at Goku, who still had that stern look on his face as he gazed at his broken opponent. Gaito's words keep replaying in Kaito's mind as his anger and contempt towards Goku increased. He knew this imposter was not real Goku, but fate can make a mockery of him sometimes. Not only did he had to deal with the fact that Lucia will never be his, but also that Goku has to rub it in his face by beating him into the ground through that lookalike in front of him._

" _ **Have you made your decision yet? About that human you hate?"**_ _Gaito asked._

 _As Kaito had that flashback, Goku charged his ultimate attack._

" _Kaaaaa…. Meeeee…."_

" _ **I'm talking about your opportunity to achieve the power you need to defeat that human Goku. If you join me, that power can become a reality."**_ _Gaito said._

" _Haaaaaa…. Meeeee…." Rays of blue and white shined in Goku's palms as he readied his attack. Kaito's resentment for Goku only increased greatly._

" _Very well then. If you wish to gain the power you desire, come to me." Gaito suddenly said. Kaito simply didn't care anymore as he closed his eyes and fell into the ravine below._

" _HAAAAAAAAA!" Goku unleashed his attack, but the energy wave missed by a margin as Kaito's limp body fell into the darkness below him._

" _Give me the power. The power to win over Lucia's heart… and to kill Goku." Kaito said telepathically. As soon as he said that, the entire environment returned to normal, the whole ruined surrounding an illusion of Gaito's design._

Gaito grinned as his plan succeeded. He managed to shatter his spirit and summon him right in front of him, perfectly fine, but unconscious.

"Welcome, my other me. You are now where you belong, so make yourself comfortable." Gaito smirked. Now all he had to do was wait until Kaito wakes up. He will gain the ultimate power one way or the other, but first he will see if Kaito is willing to join his cause now that he gave him a proper incentive.

* * *

At the same time, The Black Beauty Sisters reached a cliff where perpetual darkness loomed below, holding respective pearls in their grasp.

"We have finally arrived, sister Mimi." SheShe.

"Let's do it sister SheShe." Mimi said. The two sisters then inserted the pearls into the sockets of their tail-like microphones. As soon as they placed them, they could feel tremendous power coursing through their body as waves of sparkles encircled them, making a round shape before they dispersed into nothingness.

"I can feel my power increasing greatly." Mimi said excitedly, clenching her fists in amazement.

"The power of our songs is now stronger." SheShe smirked as she waved her hand. "And now, let the grand finale begin." She said.

But as soon as they made their move to depart, the Dark Lovers intercepted them. But unfortunately, due to their increased power, they didn't even had a slim chance against the two wicked sisters. However, they will yet prove their usefulness as the two sisters charmed all four of them under their control. With those four out of the way, they departed to the surface, where they will carry out their dastardly plan.

Meanwhile, the four mermaids gathered with Nicole in the living room, where they were watching TV news known as ZTV.

" _We interrupt this program for a special news report." The reported said._

" _Just minutes ago, this massive tornado formed far away from South City, threatening to wipe out the city itself and its immediate surroundings. It moves at incredible speed towards north and north-west. All citizens are to seek shelter at immediate…"_ A female reported was suddenly cut short. To the mermaid's surprise, SheShe and Mimi appeared on screen.

" _Can you hear us, mermaid princesses?" SheShe asked mockingly._

"What? Black Beauty Sisters? But how?" Karen asked in surprise.

"They are using the frequency that can only be heard by the mermaids. How in the world did they do that?" Rina frowned.

" _Listen carefully, because we will only say it once. We have an important announcement for you. We believe that you have grown tired of a long period of hiding in the surface world and we are here to help you out with that problem." SheShe said._

" _Indeed, but there is a catch. If you don't show up, then this raging tornado will destroy everything in its path." Mimi said._

" _Don't feel threatened or anything, but if you don't appear before us soon, then you can say goodbye to everyone you know in the surface world." SheShe smirked. The sisters laughed arrogantly before their transmission was cut off, leaving the mermaids to take action in moment's notice._

* * *

Elsewhere, Kaito was slowly waking up, finding himself in an unknown chamber surrounding him.

"What? Where am i?" Kaito said. Then the bottom part of a golden staff struck the floor with a loud thud, immediately drawing Kaito's attention to the familiar robed man.

"Greetings Kaito." Gaito said.

"Who are you?" Kaito asked angrily.

"My name is Gaito and this is my castle. You came here because you wanted power, is that right? The power to win over the girl that is most important to you, and more importantly… to defeat that human Goku." Gaito said. Kaito gasped slightly at his words. He was right, he did made that wish.

"If you join me, you will achieve incredible power at your beck and call." Gaito said, grabbing his chin.

"Back off!" Kaito shoved him away with his left hand, but his eyes went slightly wide as it clicked him. He looked at his arm and he was able to move it normally again.

"My arm. My body. I don't have a single injury anymore. But how…"

"That is no longer your concern Kaito." Gaito cut him mid-sentence. "You don't have a clue of what you truly are, are you? In that case, let me show you." Gaito said. Then a mark appeared on his forehead, which looked exactly like the mark Kaito had before.

"What?!" Kaito said in surprise. He did not know that the same mark appeared on his forehead as well.

"What you are seeing right now is the proof that you wield the power of Panthalassa." Gaito said.

"The power of Panthalassa? What kind of nonsense is that?" Kaito said angrily, but due to two different powers colliding, he started to lose consciousness again.

"You will know soon enough. The game is finally over, my other me." Gaito said before Kaito fell down unconscious.

* * *

At the same time, Hippo and the four mermaids headed towards the signal of the two pearls obtained by The Black Beauty Sisters.

"Wait girls. The radar indicates that the pearls are somewhere nearby." Hippo said. They looked around left and right, but there was no sign of the sisters.

"Glad you could make it, mermaid princesses. We have been expecting you." A familiar voice suddenly said. Hippo and the mermaids looked up to find SheShe and Mimi, along with the Dark Lovers backing them up from behind. The mermaids wasted no time as they immediately started to assume their Idol Forms.

"Voice of the Pink Pearl!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Voice of the Blue Pearl!" Hanon exclaimed.

"Voice of the Green Pearl!" Rina exclaimed.

"Voice of the Purple Pearl!" Karen exclaimed.

"Here goes." Hippo said as he was transforming into his hippocampus form, ready for battle.

However, the sisters formed a strategy this time and they were ready to defeat them all in one fell swoop. Mimi grinned as she snapped her fingers. Then a big school of red-eyed fishes swarmed behind the sisters, alerting the mermaids of their ability.

"Girls, they are about to use that blinding flash on us like before." Rina frowned. The other three mermaids were at the ready, but the Hippo intervened in front of them.

"Don't worry mermaid princesses, I will protect you." Hippo said as he spread his massive wings to shield the mermaids. He then glanced towards Yuri, who stood behind the sisters.

" _Miss Yuri, I could never fight you, but I am going to defeat The Black Beauty Sisters."_ Hippo thought before he charged forward.

"Foolish hippocampus. This attack was not meant for them, but for you." SheShe smirked, folding her arms cockily.

"What?!" Hippo exclaimed with slightly wide eyes.

"Flash of the Deeps!" The sisters said. The fishes behind them emitted a bright flash of light from their eyes, blinding Hippo in place.

"Hippo needs help, let's go!" Lucia frowned, with the other three mermaids nodding in agreement.

"Now!" SheShe said, signaling the Dark lovers to disappear and reappear around the mermaids before they could start singing.

"Frozen Breath!" Maria exclaimed, freezing the mermaids in the icy prison globe. Yuri immediately proceeded to solidify the globe with her magic and make it more vulnerable to their attacks.

"Sea Hurricane!" Eril exclaimed, sending a powerful tornado that slammed onto the globe, shattering it a bit and sending a shockwave within that stunned the mermaids.

"Take this!" Izure exclaimed as she sent two water dragons to shatter the icy globe and cancel the mermaid's aura that magnify their singing.

The Sisters then phased out of existence and reappeared from behind Hippo.

"Pressure Attack!" The sisters exclaimed, firing a transparent ball of force energy at Hippo. Due to their increased power thanks to the pearls they possess, the impact of their attack was enough to incapacitate the mighty guardian, sending him spiraling down onto the ocean floor.

"Now's our chance sister, lets finish them!" Mimi smirked.

"I couldn't agree more." SheShe also smirked. They extended their hands together and started to conjure a snow like dust that slowly fell around the four mermaids.

"What is this?" Hanon frowned.

"What is going on? What are they up to?" Lucia frowned slightly. But before they knew it, the dust formed around them in circular motion. It was in fact a trap technique that the sisters used on Karen before, but this time, all four of the mermaids were now imprisoned.

"Oh no, not this again!" Karen said in desperation.

"Great, now there is no way to break out of this trap!" Rina frowned. Now that the four mermaids were trapped in this big yellow orb of energy, they were now at the sister's mercy.

"A pretty useful little technique, don't you think? That human Goku is not the only one who has a trick or two up his sleeve." SheShe smirked.

"And now, without further ado, allow us to introduce to you a spectacular concert, hosted by yours truly." Mimi smirked. Then the red aura formed around the sisters as they were ready to exact excruciating pain to their enemies.

"Showtime!" SheShe and Mimi exclaimed.

"Now it's too late, for everything.

For everything, save for trouble!"

"Rule is the same for everything else,  
None of us is victorious.  
In darkness you are all lost.  
Those who fight us are submitting right now."

The four mermaids screamed in unbearable pain. Due to the pearls in their microphone's socket, their singing was greatly empowered, which only increased the mermaid's suffering as they screamed loudly in pain, much to the sister's amusement.

"All weary souls are swayed to our side,  
when our will is shattered by evil misdeeds.  
now it's all fun  
but time will come  
when there is no hope for you."

"We are the masters of sorrow and grief,  
You will find no harmony in our lead.  
When fear grips you,  
know that your fear is well justified."

"Rule is the same for everything else,  
None of us is victorious.  
In darkness you are all lost.  
no one dares to fight the sisters."

"Now it's too late, for everything.

Get ready for the incoming pain."

"How about a dark encore?" Mimi said, posing in a mocking manner in similar way like the mermaids always do when they sing.

"Oh we'll give it to them in due time. For now, let them slumber in the darkness of the ocean floor where the light can't reach it. And don't worry, we will claim your pearls." SheShe said. Then a big yellow orb of energy from their trap technique separated into four, each containing a single mermaid that they captured. The sisters wanted to finish off the mythical hippocampus, so they can take the mermaid princess' pearls with no interruptions. The mermaids shouted in fear as they were dragged into the darkness.

" _What are we going to do? If we don't get out of here now, we will be imprisoned and taken to Gaito's castle!"_ Lucia thought desperately.

"Gokuu!" Lucia shouted desperately as she was dragged further into the deeps.

* * *

At the same time, Goku was fishing underwater for massive tuna fishes that usually inhabit the waters of Mount Paozu, wanting to grab a bite to eat after a good training session. But suddenly…

" _Gokuu!"_ He heard a familiar echo calling out for him, his eyes slightly wide in unexpected surprise. Goku looked around left and right as he was holding his breath, but there was no one there.

" _What was that? That sounded like… Lucia. How is that even possible? South City is like on the other side of the planet."_ He thought. But his thoughts were interrupted as his body instinctively sidestepped a charging tuna fish.

" _Whoah, that one is huge! Oh boy, this will be a feast!"_ He thought cheerfully. Moments later, the fish charged at him, but Goku punched it outside the water, making it fall on the surface and dying from the force of the punch. Soon enough, he propelled himself like a torpedo outside the water and landed gracefully near the fish with nothing but his boxers on, shaking his spiky hair and spraying water drops everywhere.

"Awesome, this should keep me well fed for a while." Goku smiled. But he frowned seriously as he returned his gaze to the river flowing far away from the mountains.

" _Still, I could have sworn I heard Lucia calling out for me. But that can't be true, she is far away from here. I only hope she is alright."_ He thought seriously.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hippo was still in his hippocampus form, severely drained of his strength, but was still on his feet.

"No, I won't let it end like this. I am the guardian of the mermaids and I will fight with every ounce of my strength in me." Hippo said, trying his best to regain his composure. The impact of the sister's attack damaged him more than he thought. Though there is no surprise there, since the pearls they stole empowered them greatly. Hippo then flapped his wings, charging back into the fray.

"Well look who it is, hippocampus is actually still standing." Mimi smirked.

"Not for long. Dark Lovers, attack!" SheShe commanded, pointing at the guardian. The water demons surrounded Hippo, his attention immediately drawn to none other than Yuri.

" _Miss Yuri, I will make those Black Beauty sisters pay for forcing you to fight for them. But still, forgive me for what I'm about to do"_ Hippo thought, spreading his wings wide as he readied his attack.

"Mighty Hurricane Fury!" Hippo exclaimed, flapping his winds and sending hurricane winds to blow the Dark Lovers away. Hippo didn't waste time as he charged forward.

"Well, he is persistent." SheShe smirked.

Hippo fired his energy beam from his eyes at the sisters, but they managed to dodge it. He continued to fire, but the sisters laughed it off by effortlessly dodging his futile attacks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gaito kneeled before the unconscious Kaito.

"This is your castle as much as it is mine, Kaito. The two of us must unite, so we can conquer this world and make the seven seas ours to rule." Gaito said. But Kaito kept having flashbacks of Lucia and her sweet smile, especially during school hours where he gets to see her often.

"Lucia." Kaito said in somewhat of a heartbroken voice, frowning slightly as he started to regain consciousness.

"And your devotion towards the mermaid princess only solidifies the fact that you are a part of the Panthalassa clan." He said before he turned around with a smirk. "However, the purpose of that devotion is only an incentive to your destiny and it is, as I said, to rule together."

"Nonsense. All of it." Kaito growled as he slowly started to stand up, clenching his fists.

"Love is something that you don't need, especially when the girl you care about the most favors Goku over you." Gaito smirked. Kaito's eyes went slightly wide as he felt a surge of pain in his heart, then frowning at Gaito. It's true, he resented Goku, but he had this feeling that Gaito has something darker in mind.

* * *

At the same time, The Black Beauty Sisters were done fooling around as they went for the finish.

"It was entertaining hippocampus, but now it's time to end this game. Dark Lovers, finish him!" SheShe commanded. The water demons surrounded the guardian, thrusting their palms forward as they readied their ultimate attack.

"Panthalassa's Retribution!" The Dark lovers unleashed a dark beam filled with lightning at the guardian. Hippo screamed in pain as he tried to resist the attack, but his endurance was slipping away due to his fatigue of the attack he received from the sisters.

"Miss Yuri, please s-stop!" Hippo growled in pain. He then screamed as he was on the verge to lose consciousness, dropping out of his hippocampus form into human form. But even though Yuri was under Sheshe's and Mimi's spell, she immediately snapped from her trance as her eyes went wide at the sight of her target: Her Hippo, severely injured from their combined attack. She couldn't believe that mythical beast was actually her beloved Hippo.

"Hippo!?" Yuri exclaimed, immediately rushing to his side.

"And that takes care of that." Mimi said. But the sisters found a surprising, yet interesting development in front of them as Yuri rushed to the wounded guardian's side. Yuri gently placed Hippo down on the ground, holding his head with a remorseful look on her face.

"Oh no, what have I done? Hippo, please say something! Hippo!" Yuri exclaimed, feeling incredibly guilty that she was responsible for wounding her beloved.

"Will you look at that? There is actually something special about those two." Mimi pointed out.

"Who cares about that? We have more pressing matters to attend to." SheShe shrugged nonchalantly. But their words only made Yuri angry, they dare to dismiss them as nothing but disposable assets used against her Hippo.

"We may not be destined to be together, but you will pay for what you have done all the same!" Yuri exclaimed in anger. SheShe merely hissed in amusement.

"Don't make me laugh Yuri, you can't even scratch our heels all alone." SheShe mocked. But it made Yuri furious as she teleported in front of SheShe to deliver a punch. SheShe effortlessly tilted her head to the right to dodge the punch before she blasted Yuri away with a burst of red energy. But the aftershock of their attack also broke Izure, Maria and Eril from their brainwashed states.

"Wha… what happened?" Izure asked.

"What in the world?" Maria said. The three water demons looked at each other before they noticed their stunned comrade sinking to the ground.

"Yuri!" The three water demons exclaimed, immediately rushing to her side. They caught Yuri and helped her compose herself, so all four of them can fight The Black Beauty Sisters together.

"Thanks a lot." Yuri smiled gratefully.

"Well, it would seem they banded together. This should be fun." Mimi mocked.

"The two of you have made a big mistake that will cost you dearly!" Eril exclaimed in her menacing persona.

"You will pay for what you have done!" Izure growled in anger.

"Hoho, scathing." Mimi taunted, folding her arms arrogantly.

"My knees are trembling in fear, whatever will we do now?" SheShe also mocked. But their taunting words only infuriated the water demons for dismissing them like worthless insects. All four of them attacked in unison with their respective abilities, but the sisters effortlessly dodged their attacks, yawning in boredom.

"Oh please, as if you can harm us for real with those childish tricks." Mimi taunted further.

"Why you…" Eril growled, charging towards the sisters and trying to deliver a claw attack, but was also dodged. However, their tail-like microphones collided with enough force for the two pearls to pop out of their sockets. But before the sisters could take them back, Eril continued with her claw attacks, but all of them were dodged. Yuri used the opportunity to strike behind SheShe's back, while Izure sent her dragons to attack behind Mimi, their respective blasts hitting them hard.

Meanwhile, Hippo opened his eyes as he regained consciousness, but was relatively weakened after that attack. He did however notice the dark blue and yellow pearls falling down slowly into the ground. _"Those are the pearls of the mermaid princesses. I have to get to them fast."_ Hippo thought. He used his elbows to drag himself to the proximity of the falling pearls, extending his palm and clenching the two pearls in his arms.

"Aqua Regina, please, we need your help! Lend the mermaid princesses your power!" Hippo exclaimed desperately, hoping his prayer will have effect. But to his surprise, the pearls in his grip glowed. But not only did those two pearls emanate with respective colors, but four other pearls started to glow, namely the pearls of Lucia, Hanon, Rina and Karen. The seventh and final pearl also glowed far away, Sara's orange pearl.

"What is going on, why is my pearl glowing like this?" Sara asked, completely caught off guard by this strange occurrence. The vibrations of the seven pearls managed to call upon the echo of their deity, Aqua Regina, her benevolent rays of pure light freeing the mermaids from their imprisonment.

"It's Aqua Regina!" Lucia smiled brightly, relieved that she came to their aid when they needed her the most.

"My dearest mermaid princesses, I come to you in your time of need. The vibrations of your pearls have made a new melody for you to use against your foes. Use this new power wisely and remember, I am always with you." Aqua Regina said as she used her staff to conjure a moderate sized rainbow ball as her way of empowering the mermaids before she disappeared into nothingness. The ball descended near the mermaids before it split in four, floating to the mermaid's wrists, taking the shape of a bracelet with a jewel of respective colors in the center, surrounded by yellow tiny pearls. With this newfound power, they headed to confront The Black Beauty Sisters and end their schemes of conquest.

* * *

At the same time, in Gaito's castle…

"I have been looking forward for this encounter for a long time, Kaito." Gaito said as he sat back on his throne with a smirk on his face. "Still confused? Then hear me out. Long ago, Aqua Regina fought the deity that our clan worshipped, a terrible being called Lilith. She managed to defeat out matron, but her power could not be destroyed entirely, so Aqua Regina divided its power into two: you and me. Because of this handicap, I couldn't use my powers to its full extent." Gaito then grinned slightly. "However, that will change from today. Since you are one of us, I will give you the chance to join me in my conquest. You will wield the power unlike anything you could imagine. The power to win over the girl you care about, and more importantly… to defeat that human you wanted dead. Goku." Gaito said.

Kaito's eyes went slightly wide. How did he know he wished for that? While that may be correct, he wasn't completely true to his wish. Even he realized that his hatred and contempt towards Goku was solely based on jealousy, the fact that Lucia cared about Goku and not him. Other than that, Goku never wronged him. Not even once. Even when he was angry at him, Goku always had that considerate, carefree and friendly attitude towards him every time. That cocky imposter that pummeled him in that illusion was definitely Gaito's handiwork as an attempt to sway him to his side. Even so, he refused to believe even for a second that he is one of his kind.

* * *

Back on the battlefield, SheShe drilled her knee on Eril's stomach before she backhanded her in the face.

"You annoying little pests!" SheShe exclaimed in anger.

"It's time to end this!" Mimi exclaimed. The sisters thrusted their hand forward as they delivered a combined red energy attack, hitting all four of the Dark Lovers at once, knocking them back several yards and temporarily incapacitating them.

"Tss, good riddance." SheShe frowned slightly.

"Now let's carry on with our original plan, starting with taking the pearls from those pesky mermaid princesses." Mimi smirked.

"I wouldn't bet on it if I were you." Lucia suddenly said from behind the sisters.

"What?!" The sisters exclaimed.

Then all four of the mermaids activated their bracelets while in their Idol Forms. The bracelets radiated with respective colors and their clothing started to change. The most noticeable difference is that each of their uniforms had double layers, along with their boots and gloves. They also gained long bows, Lucia, Hanon and Karen on their backs, while Rina on her right hip. Rina also attains yellow-green pearl bead headband, while Lucia gains a jeweled pink headpiece and pink accents alongside the top part of her dress.

But the transformation of their clothing is not the only dramatic difference. Their power levels increased greatly in this new form, now fully capable of defeating the sisters once and for all, especially when there are four of them.

"No, this can't be!" Mimi exclaimed in shock and surprise.

"How did you manage to escape out prison orbs?!" SheShe exclaimed, also equally baffled.

"We will stop you again and again, evil water demons." Karen frowned with a battle-ready smirk.

"We will put an end to your evil schemes and free our friends from Gaito's iron grip." Rina said in determination.

"And preserve the peace both on land and the sea." Hanon said.

"We now sing you the song of all that is good and true." Lucia smiled.

"Live for you, mermaid voice!" All four mermaids said at once as they started to sing their newfound melody, The Power of the Mermaids.

"All new challenges are waiting for me,  
The sea makes me all determined.  
I now close my eyes, for i know the pain  
of the incoming fall."

"I stand boldly, watching what awaits me  
now is not the time to hide.  
I raise my head high, i will give you all  
for that i promised."

While the mermaids were singing, the sisters faced an unbearable and excruciating pain as they grabbed their head for pain to subside, their power slowly slipping away as the massive tornado started to dissipate.

"When something in the darkness is  
happening, happening, happening  
That's only just the two of us  
you and me, you and me, you and me,"

"Don't go now.  
Don't go now!"

"The days are all gracious  
for i want to share them with you.  
For one thing is certain  
That i will always want you."

"The morning is peaceful  
when i believe i have you.  
When everything is possible  
i recognize you, it's easy."

"For only wish is the strength of true love."

"It's useless, they are too strong." SheShe growled in anger and pain.

"Loving power of the mermaids!" All four of them exclaimed, pointing at the sisters as a sign of their united finishing move and damaging the sisters even more.

"How about an encore?" Lucia winked playfully. The Black Beauty Sisters had no choice, they were so desperate that they have to call upon their former master whom they betrayed.

"Master Gaito, help us!" SheShe yelled.

"Save us master!" Mimi also yelled.

Gaito heard their calls for help, but he was no fool as he knew of their betrayal all along.

"Loudmouths! I demand SILENCE!" Gaito shouted as he channeled his power through his ornamented staff, sending a yellow beam of energy at fast speed towards the sisters. Unfortunately for them, that energy beam was directed at them and not the mermaids. Soon enough, the beam collided, sending strong winds in all directions, emitting a blinding light that forced the mermaids to shield their eyes. After the light died down, they were surprised and slightly shocked to find the sisters being reduced to common anglerfish, stripped of all of their power as they were harmlessly swimming away.

"What in the world?! What happened to them?" Lucia asked.

"My guess is Gaito. He was the one who summoned those two and now he stripped them of their power, reverting them to their true form." Rina said.

"But why would he do that, don't they fight for Gaito?" Hanon asked.

"I don't think so. On our way here, they were fighting the Dark Lovers. They probably cut their ties with Gaito and now they paid the price." Karen frowned slightly.

"I see." Lucia said. She looked down to find Hippo lying down. Hippo!" Lucia exclaimed, immediately running to aid her guardian, with Karen, Hanon and Rina following them.

"Hippo, are you alright?" Lucia asked.

"Yes, I'll be fine. I just need some rest, that's all." Hippo smiled weakly. Then the four water demons recovered and formed up in front of the mermaids. The two sides gazed at each other sternly, but none of them attacked. Their very gaze gave a silent indication that they both fought against The Black Beauty Sisters and because of that, they called for a momentary truce and postponed their fight for another time. The only ones who didn't pay much attention were Hippo and Yuri.

" _Hippo."_ Yuri thought.

" _Yuri."_ Hippo thought.

Moments later, the water demons disappeared. The mermaids knew that next time they meet, they will fight each other again. Lucia then smiled at Hippo.

"Let's go back to the hotel. Once you regain your strength, we will decide what to do next." Lucia smiled, nodding in agreement. She then turned towards the other mermaids. "Let's go." She said. The other three mermaids quickly followed.

* * *

Back at Gaito's castle, the staff died down after it sent its beam of energy at the wicked sisters.

"So Kaito, have you made your decision? Will you join me?" Gaito asked. It took a few moments before Kaito finally spoke.

"No." Kaito said. This response completely surprised Gaito as his eyes went wide.

"What?!" Gaito exclaimed.

"You heard me. I don't care what you say I am. I am Kaito Domoto, son of a musician and there is no other me, understand?" Kaito declared boldly.

"You don't get it, do you? You cannot escape your fate and you know why? Because you… are my little brother." Gaito said. Kaito gasped loudly in shock at the news. How can this twisted man be his brother? He may look like him, but there is no way that they are siblings.

"That's right, it is your _duty_ to capture all seven mermaid princesses and take their pearls. Not only that, you will also attain enough power to defeat that human you despise." Gaito smirked. Kaito growled in anger as Gaito was intentionally goading him into turning against his friend from school.

"I heard enough!" Kaito shouted. Gaito's eyes went slightly wide in surprise as his face went serious. "You don't know a thing about Goku. It's true, I made that wish, but it was a momentary one because I faced an imposter and not a real Goku. The reason why I hated him in the first place is because of my jealousy. I wanted for Lucia to be my girlfriend, but I know that's never gonna happen." Kaito frowned angrily as he fixed his stern gaze at Gaito. "But now I accept that fact. And for your information, Goku is the greatest guy I have ever met. He is my friend and I will not turn on him like you expect me to!" Kaito exclaimed in anger. Gaito remained silent for a few seconds before he started to laugh, much to Kaito's confusion.

"You are even a bigger fool then I expected. Your loyalty is admirable, but the hatred for him remains firmly rooted in your heart, no matter how faint it is." Gaito smirked, the Mark of Panthalassa glowing on his forehead. Kaito started to scream in immense pain as the same mark appeared on his head. Both of them were covered with dark auras.

"Even if you were to join me, I would have drained you dry of your power anyway. So I might as well speed this up. The entire world awaits me to conquer it and time is a precious commodity." Gaito smirked. Now that the power of Panthalassa is complete, he used his power to ascend his castle to the surface, so he may carry out his plan.

"Let's have a little walk, shall we?" Gaito said, ignoring Kaito's screams of pain as he tries hard to resist, but to no avail. He was quickly falling under Gaito's control. But before he could invade the surface world, he will have to confront the mermaid princesses and take their pearls. With the combined might of the seven pearls added to his own, he will be able to destroy Goku once and for all. Now the time has come to destroy his enemies and bend the world to his will.

* * *

 **A/N: For those who have noticed, yes, i have given Hippo a few abilities. For those who watched Mermaid Melody anime, you'd probably notice that Hippo, even in his hippocampus form, didn't seem too impressive in battle, so i added him a few abilities, coincidentally one of them was Mighty Hurricane Fury, which is an ability of Oceanus Shenron from GT. It sounded cool, so i added it to Hippo, only with no spinning part, but simply flapping his winds hard to perform the attack. :D**

 **-Drake202 Thanks man, glad you like it. Well, that remains to be seen as the story goes on without throwing away spoilers, but i can say things will be a lot more interesting :)**

 **Thank you guys for reading and reviewing and ill see you in the next chapter :)**


	18. Chapter 18

~Battle of the Tides~

Back at Mount Paozu, after having a sufficient meal, Goku returned to his training schedule, standing on his right arm and balancing himself while doing pushups at the same time.

"9997, 9998, 9999, 10,000." Goku gritted his teeth as he was doing the count. Then he propelled himself backwards with the same arm he was exercising with and landed gracefully. After a few moments, he clenched his right fist in front of him and smiled.

"Wow, all of that and I'm not even tired, so much for that level of training." Goku smiled before he glanced to the lands below to the right. "And the tournament is starting in two days. Well alright then, I guess I'm as ready for the tournament as I'll ever be!" He said cheerfully before he turned around. "In that case, I better grab a bite to eat, some grilled meat would be awesome right now." He then looked to the sky. "FLYING NIMBUS!" Goku shouted, calling for his cloud. As soon as it descended, he headed to the nearby town, where he can have a feast after a good training session.

It didn't take long for him to reach the town on his fast cloud. Soon enough, he reached an all you can eat restaurant called Crane's Rise, the best place where the fresh meat and many other assortment of dishes are served. Goku didn't hesitate even for a second as he ordered a plethora of dishes for him to devour. The others stopped eating and sweat-dropped as they looked at this strange spiky man with ravenous appetite as he cleaned up one dish after another at record time. After half an hour of pure delight, Goku finally finished, burping a bit and rubbing his stomach with a bright smile. After a few minutes, Goku went out of the restaurant, stretching his arms wide in the air.

"Man I'm so full, that was delicious. Though I have to admit, I'd much rather prefer Lucia's cooking, they have a flavor to them that only Lucia can pull off. Speaking of which, I think it's time for me to head back to South City and pay her a visit." Goku said cheerfully. As he was passing by near a small cafe bar, the TV news can be heard from the outside.

" _We are reporting to you live from the main beach of South City." The reported said._

" _South City?"_ Goku thought, his attention now fixed on the TV news.

" _In the recent freak occurrences that transpired near the shores of South City, this is the most bizarre by far. Only minutes ago, a massive construction for what appears to be a castle of a sort has emerged from the sea far away from the shores of the once crowded city. How and why this enormous structure suddenly appeared is unknown, but the citizens have started to evacuate the area due to the fear of these unnatural anomalies. There are speculations that someone is responsible for these recent events, but who exactly is anybody's guess at the moment." The reporter said._

"Man, who could blame them? First there was this giant tornado that was about to destroy everything and now a giant castle?" A middle aged man said near Goku, sitting on the chair and drinking a beer with his equally old friend.

"I know, right? I would have left that city too in a moment's notice if a destructive tornado was about to blow me away." Another man said.

"Seriously, what's next, aliens attacking from space?" A middle aged man said as he was drinking his beer. But Goku ignored their remarks as he gazed sternly at the construction that appeared on TV.

" _A castle emerging from the sea? Someone is definitely responsible for this. But who? It can't be Piccolo, so… Dark Lovers? Or maybe those other two girls with microphones, SheShe and Mimi?"_ Goku thought sternly. _"No, someone even more powerful is behind this."_ He thought. But for some reason, he had flashback of that grey-haired robed man. He didn't know why, but there had to be some connection between the two. In any case, he had this sick feeling in his gut that something terrible is about to follow with that strange castle.

Then his eyes went wide as he remembered about Lucia.

" _Oh no! If I remember right, Lucia is living near the beach! And that means she is in trouble."_ Goku thought, growling slightly. " _But wait, that reporter guy said the people were evacuating. Could Lucia be one of them?"_ Then he frowned further. _"No, I won't take any chances, I need to get to South City fast. That castle from the sea definitely spells bad news."_ He thought. He then jumped on the roof of the building before he called for his cloud.

"NIMBUS!" Goku called out. The cloud descended fast and Goku jumped immediately on it.

"Come on Nimbus, let's go!" Goku said, flying at fast speed back to South City.

* * *

At the same time, far away from the shores of South City, Gaito finally decided to set his plans into motion as his castle stood on the surface of the sea. The storm clouds started to form around the peak of the castle, shrouding its surroundings in occasional lightning and strong winds. The clouds started to spread wider and wider until it covered a large radius, but is yet to cover South City, as it is still basked in bright sunlight.

The four mermaid princesses overlooked the situation from the beach of the Pearl Hotel, a little surprised by these turn of events.

"Rina, is that…" Lucia said.

"Yeah. That is Gaito's castle, alright." Rina frowned slightly.

"But why would he…" Hanon asked curiously, stopping mid-sentence.

"It would appear that he decided to show himself to the entire world." Karen frowned, folding her arms.

"Madame Taki?" Nicole said, inquiring to the fortuneteller for answer to the insidious castle before them.

"At long last. The time has finally come for the battle of both the land and the sea." Madame Taki said, raising her green crystal ball aloft, showing Gaito's castle within it.

"Are you saying they are goading us to enter that castle and fight Gaito in his domain?" Hanon asked Madame Taki.

"Almost certainly, Hanon. This time, they are really determined to defeat all four of you and take your pearls." Madame Taki said seriously.

"But is it wise to answer the call? It could be a trap." Rina said.

"Of course we will go. My sister is held prisoner there, there is no way we will just sit here and wait for Gaito to knock on our doors." Karen said in determination. After a moment or two, the three mermaids nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure that Miss Sara and Miss Coco are there too." Hippo said.

"My Taro is held prisoner there as well." Hanon frowned in determination.

"Then it's decided. We all go in that castle and fight Gaito head on." Lucia frowned as she turned towards the storm clouds surrounding Gaito's castle, with other three mermaids lining up next to her with expressions filled with determination.

"Be careful my mermaid princesses. I want you to return home safe and sound." Madame Taki said out of concern.

"I will make a splendid stew for you all when you return." Nicole smiled to lighten up the mood.

"We promise that we will return with all seven mermaid princesses." Hippo said.

"Then we will all come back for Nicole's delicious stew, are we girls?" Hanon smiled cheerfully. The three mermaids couldn't help but smile a little and nod at Hanon. Then all four of them looked at the horizon.

"Let's do it." Lucia frowned in determination, departing to confront her enemy alongside her friends.

* * *

Meanwhile within the castle, Gaito is having a small council with Sara in his private quarters.

"The moment is at hand Sara. I will finally have all seven pearls in my possession and take over the world." Gaito smirked.

"At long last, the light of the world is within your reach." Sara supported him.

"The light, huh?" Gaito said.

"Does that frighten you?" Sara teased him.

"Don't be ridiculous, light and darkness are two sides of the same coin. And now I have both of them, thanks to the reunion with my little brother. I have to admit, he did resist me for a while, but I managed to break his spirit in the end, his power now at my disposal." Gaito smirked. Sara leaned on his back, her chin leaned on his shoulder.

"You have resided in the darkness for so long, dear Gaito. You have earned this right more than anyone." Sara encouraged him further, filling Gaito with even more determination to conquer the world for her.

"Then, my dear Sara, let the festivities commence." Gaito said as he departed to his throne room to ready himself for a one-sided battle.

* * *

Outside the castle, Hippo and the four mermaids have arrived at the front gates of the castle, but the entrance was way too high for the mermaids to reach from the water.

"Uhh girls, how are we supposed to reach the entrance from over here?" Lucia said, sweat-dropping at the predicament in front of them.

"Man, the nerve. They were practically daring for us to come here and this is how they greet us?" Hanon pouted in annoyance.

"Well, knocking at the front door won't do, let's go and find another way in." Rina said.

But as the mermaids were about to depart, suddenly, a great fissure opened up behind them. Hippo and the mermaids screamed as they tried fruitlessly to keep their distance, but the currents were too strong as they were pulled down into the abyss.

Unknown to the group, this was Gaito's way of inviting them to his domain as he was sitting in his throne room.

"Ahh yes, our honored guests have arrived." Gaito smirked with closed eyes before he looked at the Dark Lovers in front of him. "It is time, my little water demons, make sure you treat our guests nicely." Gaito said maliciously.

"Yes, master Gaito!" The four Dark lovers said in unison before they departed.

At the same time, the mermaids found themselves in an unknown chamber.

"Lucia? Lucia, wake up. Lucia." Rina said, trying to awake the unconscious Lucia, who passed out due to the impact of falling inside the vortex.

"Ugh… Rina? What happened?" Lucia said, slowly opening her eyes as he started to regain consciousness.

"Thank goodness." Rina sighed in relief. Lucia slowly got up as she was rubbing her head, feeling a bit dizzy.

"Where are we?" Lucia asked.

"In Gaito's castle, I bet." Rina frowned.

"Well, that was rude." Hanon said sarcastically.

"Welcome, my dear mermaid princesses." Gaito's voice suddenly echoed across the room where they are. "You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment, the day when I would finally acquire your pearls and rule the seas forever. Make yourselves at home, because you won't be leaving."

"And what makes you think that we will just hand them over to you?" Lucia frowned slightly.

"Why don't you show yourself if you are so confident?!" Karen frowned.

"There is no need." A voice said from behind the pillars. It was Eril, who assumed her vicious persona.

"Welcome to our humble abode, mermaid princesses." Yuri said.

"We are pleased to be your hosts on this day." Maria smirked.

"Great, it's these four again. When are you going to leave Gaito alone and rely on your own luck for once?" Hanon said sarcastically, which only infuriated the Dark Lovers.

"Be silent, you filth! What do you know of our master?!" Izure growled in anger.

"You can't even comprehend how important master Gaito is to us. All who are forced to reside in the darkness of the sea turn to him, like we did." Yuri frowned. Little did she know that her Hippo was in her presence, but she couldn't recognize him because of his penguin form.

" _Yuri."_ Hippo thought. He has no desire to fight her, but if she were to jeopardize the safety of the mermaid princesses, then he would have no choice but to fight her, even though he prefers to avoid that scenario.

"We don't have time for this." Rina said angrily as she looked to the left. "Lucia, Karen, Hippo, you go and find Noel and the others, while Hanon and I deal with these nitwit water demons." Rina said, waving her hand to gesture them to go. Lucia and Karen nodded in agreement.

"Right." Lucia said.

"Good luck, girls." Karen said. Lucia then picked up their little guardian and headed outside the chamber.

"On no, you don't!" Eril exclaimed, about to charge at the two escaping mermaids.

"Leave them be Eril." Izure said, prompting Eril to stop in her tracks. "Let them divide, makes our job easier. Then we can take them down one by one." Izure smirked. Then the four water demons formed a line as they were ready for battle. What surprised Hanon and Rina the most about them is that all of them seemed overly confident. They didn't even had a slightest doubt in their victory and that concerned them a bit.

"Look at them, Rina. They are not scared in the least." Hanon raised her eyebrow curiously, sense of caution present in her mind.

"Yeah, who knows what they have in store for us, so be careful." Rina frowned. Without hesitation, the two mermaids started to assume their Idol Forms.

"Voice of the Blue Pearl!" Hanon exclaimed.

"Voice of the Green Pearl!" Rina exclaimed.

"And now we have a special treat for you." Rina said.

"The duo of Hanon and Rina." Hanon said.

"Live for you, mermaid voice!" The two mermaids said as they started to sing.

"Now again i remember everything  
Now i see things i haven't before  
I have the might, now i know  
I have the strength to give you a whole world."

"For my dreams are java right now  
All my wishes have become true  
When i have you, it's easy  
I live a life sweet like from fairytale"

"And all because of you!"

However, the two mermaids stopped singing as they realized their melody doesn't have any effect on the water demons at all.

"You fools. In our master's domain, we are immune to your wretched singing." Maria smirked.

"So why don't you just make this short on us and give up? It would be pointless to resist us." Izure grinned wickedly.

"So that's why they aren't afraid of our singing at all." Hanon frowned.

"This is bad Hanon, we have no way to defend ourselves if they are immune to our melody." Rina growled angrily.

"Get them!" Izure commanded, with other three water demons following suit. Hanon and Rina readied themselves for their brutal assault.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lucia and Karen looked left and right to find the room where the mermaids were imprisoned. A while passed as they were searching the chamber where their friends resided, but they noticed a large double door in front of them. They stopped in front of it, but as they were about to reach the handle and open it, the doors creaked as it started to open by itself, making the trio stand on guard.

"Wait Lucia, it could be a trap." Hippo cautioned Lucia while in her embrace.

"Definitely, but we have to find them and set them free." Lucia said to Hippo before she glanced to Karen. "Let's go Karen."

"Right." Karen nodded.

They slowly entered the chamber, on high alert for any possible ambush. They explored the chamber left and right and found for what appear to be row of columns with isolation chambers at the base of the pillars. But Karen's eyes went wide as she finally found her sister, trapped inside the chamber next to Coco.

"Noel!" Karen exclaimed, immediately rushing to Noel, who floated in the chamber unconscious.

"Noel, sister! Please, say something!" Karen said in a desperate voice, slamming the protective glass desperately with her right hand, trying to see if her sister was well in there.

"Miss Karen, stand aside. I will set them free." Hippo frowned. Then he activated The Sealed Key as it glowed with bright light, extending to be the size of a longsword and assuming his human form. Instead of having his sailor outfit however, this time he had white robe and blue vest around his neck and shoulders. Then he charged and sliced vertically at the chamber. At first it had no effect, but after a few moments, the glass started to crack and eventually shatter, freeing Noel as she was harmlessly falling into Karen's arms.

"Noel, are you alright? Noel." Karen said, shaking her slightly to wake her up. But Noel slowly started to regain consciousness. As she opened her eyes, she couldn't believe at who she saw.

"Karen? Is that really you?" Noel smiled weakly.

"Yes, it's me, Karen. I missed you so much, my dear sister, you have no idea how I longed to see you again." Karen said, in a voice of a small girl, almost on the verge to cry in happiness at their reunion.

"I missed you so much, my dear Karen. Very much." Noel smiled. Karen bursted into tears as she hugged her sister tightly, with Noel reciprocating the hug. Lucia and Hippo smiled at their budding reunion, with Lucia even forming tears of joy in her eyes.

"I am so happy that they are together again. I'm happy for both of them." Lucia smiled.

* * *

Far away from the four, things were not so cheerful in the chamber away from their current location. Hanon and Rina tried to dodge the attacks of the water demons for a while, but they were slowly being drained of their strength as they took the brunt of their assault. Their uniforms were torn from multiple places, cuts and bruises apparent and the two mermaids were breathing hard, but for the most part, they were alright. However, they had no idea how to counter the four Dark Lovers with their core ability being nullified in Gaito's domain.

"Aww, what's wrong, too much for you to handle?" Eril said mockingly.

"Don't worry, we will put you out of your misery once we bring you to our master." Izure smirked.

"It's no use, they have too much on us." Rina frowned at the water demons before she glanced to her friend. "Hanon, we have to get out of here and regroup with Lucia and Karen."

"Right!" Hanon nodded, with two mermaids immediately running from the four water demons.

"Hey! Get back here!" The water demons said simultaneously as they chased the fleeing mermaids.

Back in the chamber where Lucia, Karen and Hippo were…

"Alright, time to free Miss Coco now." Hippo said, frowning. Then he charged and sliced the glass containing Coco. In a similar fashion, the glass cracked and shattered, but Coco was now caught by Lucia.

"Hey Coco, are you alright?" Lucia asked. The yellow mermaid slowly opened her eyes as she noticed an unknown, but friendly face.

"Who… are you?" Coco asked weakly as she was slowly regaining strength.

"I am Lucia, mermaid princess of the North Pacific." Lucia smiled.

"You came all the way here to save me?" Coco asked.

"Of course." Lucia smiled brightly. Coco was touched that an unknown person like her would so bravely venture inside Gaito's castle to rescue her.

"I am truly grateful to you, princess Lucia." Coco smiled gratefully, but then she looked down in shame. "But I don't deserve to be free."

"What? What do you mean?" Lucia asked, a little surprised by her statement.

"Long ago, when Sara broke up with the love of her life, Mitsuki, she allowed the power of her pearl to spiral out of control. The massive amount of negative energy that her pearl produced wrought unspeakable destruction in both her kingdom and mine. I was there by her side the whole time and I didn't even lift a finger." Coco said, deeply regretful for not preventing Sara back then.

"Coco, it's going to be okay." Lucia said in gentle voice, trying to comfort her.

"No, it's not!" Coco said in desperation. Lucia's eyes went slightly wide. "I just stood there and did nothing to stop her!" Coco bowed her head down in shame again. "After a while, Sara joined Gaito and his minions and I became their prisoner ever since." Then tears stared to form in her eyes. "Forgive me Sara. All of you, please forgive me."

But then, to her surprise, a tear dropped from Lucia's cheek. Coco wondered why Lucia would possibly be so sad. But it pained Lucia greatly that Coco's kingdom suffered because of Sara's uncontrollable temper tantrum, along with all of the innocent people residing there.

"What's wrong Lucia? Why are you crying?" Coco asked out of concern.

"It's because it was so difficult for you and I didn't know anything about it. If I had known sooner, I would have helped you in any way I could." Lucia said sadly.

"Lucia, don't be so hard on yourself. It was my fault, I am the one who has to carry that burden, not you. But you truly are an amazing person with pure of heart." Coco smiled sadly. Lucia hugged Coco so she could make her feel better. In truth, she started to resent Sara a little because of her actions. She understood that it was an extremely painful experience when Taro had to break up with her, but it doesn't mean that both Sara's kingdom and Coco's, along with multitudes of citizens in respective kingdoms need to suffer because Sara couldn't control herself. She would probably be extremely grief-stricken as well if Goku broke up with her, but she would never, _ever_ put her people into jeopardy. But with naive and pure-hearted man such as Goku, that will never happen.

Suddenly, a black-haired woman appeared in the chamber.

"Sara!" Coco exclaimed, happy to see her again.

"So, you are awake, my dear friend." Sara said in dry and sarcastic voice.

"Sara, there is still time for us to redeem ourselves, to start all over. The other mermaid princesses came to help us." Coco smiled with eyes full of hope, but Sara shunned it aside immediately.

"How naïve you are, Coco." Sara said in amused voice before she frowned angrily. "Do you truly believe that we can bring back everything that we have lost? Do you believe that we can bring back your kingdom and mine?" Sara frowned further. "My heart is as black as my hair, drowned in the darkness of the bottom of the ocean. But, from that tragedy I was born anew. And I also realized something else. Admittedly, I realized that within me, besides the earthly ideas of love, hope and valor… "

"But Sara…" Coco tried to comfort Sara as she looked at her sadly, but Sara paid no heed at all as she continued, lost in the nightmares of her own grief and anger.

"… there is something else, a far greater power. I am no longer a mermaid princess. I am nothing!" Sara exclaimed angrily.

"Oh stop with your dramatics!" Karen suddenly exclaimed, making the other mermaids turn their attention to her. "I can't believe that you brought so much death and destruction because you couldn't temper your sorrows! All those lives lost because of a break up with a human! Have you no shame?!" Karen exclaimed angrily. But surprisingly enough for Lucia, even for her, she was with Karen on this one.

"I agree with Karen." Lucia said with a stern gaze that was rather uncommon for her. "I know that break ups with a love of your life can shatter your heart, but it doesn't mean that your people and Coco's had to suffer in turn. And for your information, Taro still cares about you and all you did is imprison him in this castle to rot away for all time." Lucia said in frustration, realizing the severity of Sara's temper tantrum. Karen, Noel, Coco and even Hippo were surprised by her strict attitude, but then again they too felt a little angry that many people died because of a single break up, with a human no less.

"You… are not afraid of me?" Sara said, baffled inwardly that she didn't show the slightest sign of fear.

"Afraid of you? No, after what Coco told me, I can only pity you." Lucia frowned. She was equally shocked and distraught when Goku told her about King Piccolo's rampage where the entire city and all of the innocent people died. But this was completely different. King Piccolo killed those people out of amusement, judging by what Goku told her, but Sara destroyed two kingdoms and wiped out multitudes of innocent lives, all because she lost self-control when Taro reluctantly ended their relationship. Lucia at the moment wasn't angry, frustrated or nothing of the sort. For the first time in her naïve and innocent life, she only felt pity for Sara after what she had done and nothing more.

But her pity for Sara only angered the black-haired former mermaid princess.

"You pity my? How dare you, you little brat?! Maybe you need to see for yourself how a person who lost her heart looks like!" Sara exclaimed in anger, her eyes glowing purple, directed towards Lucia. Lucia screamed as she felt immense shockwave, knocking her out unconscious.

* * *

When she finally awoke again, she found herself in an unknown realm, surrounded by massive amount of mirrors in all directions and perpetual darkness. Then she heard someone appearing from behind her, turning around in a process with a frown.

"Gaito!" Lucia exclaimed.

"That's right Lucia, welcome to my domain. It is here where you will surrender your pearl to me, or you will stay here for the rest of eternity." Gaito smirked as he was walking closer to the pink mermaid.

"If you think I will give it up so easily, then you got another thing coming!" Lucia frowned in determination, clenching her fists. Gaito chuckled in amusement by her futile resistance.

"My, you are defiant. But I'm afraid your threats are hollow without your dear Goku to save the day." Gaito smirked, folding his arms arrogantly.

"Goku will come to stop you, just like he did before! I know he will!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Then where is he? I don't see him anywhere. Maybe he already forgot about you and found another girl to fill his belly. And warm his bed." Gaito smirked. Lucia gasped in shock as she felt a great surge of pain in her heart, her eyes wide.

* * *

It was at this point that Madame Taki's crystal ball cracked, much to the shock of Nicole and Taki.

"Oh no! Oh no, please, anything but this!" Madame Taki said in shaky tone.

"Taki, what happened? Why did the crystal ball break? Tell me." Nicole asked desperately, immediately seeing that this portend meant that something went horribly wrong.

"Nicole, it was believed for years that the Panthalassa had the power to confuse the hearts of their enemies. I'm afraid that their claws are now seeped deep into Lucia's heart." Taki said in slightly shaky voice.

"Oh no, impossible!" Nicole exclaimed in shaky tone.

"If I am correct, then Lucia will have to fight not only against her enemy, but her very soul." Taki said grimly. She never would have believed that Lucia's soul as pure as gold would be the prime target of their sworn enemy. There was nothing she could do, other than pray that Lucia doesn't succumb to the darkness.

* * *

Back in the realm where Lucia is trapped...

"No, I don't believe you, Goku would never turn his back on me." Lucia said in a shaky tone in a mixture of anger and sorrow, shaking her head in denial.

"Very well then, let's see if your Goku truly cares about you." Gaito then disappeared. Lucia looked around and much to her surprise, she found Goku in front of her.

"What? Goku?! Is that really you?" Lucia asked in complete surprise, immensely hoping that the man before her really is Goku.

"Don't be silly, Lucia. If I am not Goku, then who else would I be?" Goku said with a slight frown and smile.

"But how is that possible? Goku is back home in Mount Paozu." Lucia said.

"I came all the way here to for you, Lucia." Goku smiled, almost in a smirk.

"Oh Goku, it really is you." Lucia smiled gratefully. Little did she know that the reflection in the mirror to his left was Gaito, who disguised himself as Goku to sway Lucia into willingly giving her pearl to him.

But Lucia's eyes went wide as she heard a growling and grunting noises from behind her, which grew louder and louder. Lucia slowly turned around and she discovered something horrible indeed. The massive monstrosity looked like a giant ape, with crimson eyes filled with unbridled fury. As the giant ape let out a mighty roar, Lucia screamed in horror as she tried to flee from the monster, turning towards Goku, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Goku?! Goku, where are you?! Goku!" Lucia called out in a trembling voice full of fear, desperately calling out for Goku to help her. But before a giant ape could slam his fist onto Lucia, she ran as fast as she could away from the monster. Nothing but mirrors were present in the realm that appears to stretch out in all directions indefinitely. The giant ape slowly chased Lucia as she frantically tried to escape its wrath, her eyes filled with horror. But it turned into a bright smile as she found Goku standing behind a mirror.

"GOKU!" Lucia shouted, rushing to his side. "Goku, thank goodness. There is a giant monster coming this way, you have to help me." Lucia said desperately.

"I'm afraid I can't Lucia, I'm behind this mirror. There is no way for me to get out of here." Goku frowned slightly.

"What? Please, tell me how to free you, hurry!" Lucia said in shaky tone, more afraid by the second as a giant ape was drawing near, pounding his chest like a drum and letting out a howling roar that echoed across the realm.

"You have to give me your pearl. I'm all out of energy, so it's the only way for me to break out." Goku said, placing his arm on the opposite mirror. Lucia was now a little shocked by his request. How did he know she had a pearl to begin with?

"My pearl? You mean, this pearl?" Lucia said in a low tone, still shaken up in fear at the incoming demise. She quickly opened her pendant to reveal a glowing pink pearl resting within.

"Yes, that pearl. Please, give it to me." Goku said. But as she was about to do it, she notice Gaito's reflection when the mirror glanced slightly, making her take a step back instantly and closing the pendant. But her fear grew greatly as her body started to shake, not only did the monster was getting closer, but she also found out that this imposter is not Goku.

"No, you are not him! You cannot be my Goku!" Lucia said in shaky tone.

"Hand over the pearl now!" Gaito said with a smirk, shedding his disguise and revealing The Mark of Panthalassa on his forehead, with dark aura surrounding him. But Lucia looked frantically left and right in panic, cornered like a mouse. All hope seemed lost as her mind was now thrown in complete disarray, with only one thought in her mind, a fragile hope to get her out of this horrifying place.

"GOKUUUU!" Lucia shouted at the top of her lungs to the heavens, with a few tears dropping from her eyes. But then, her pearl radiated in bright pink light that illuminated her surroundings in a powerful burst of energy, stunning Gaito in place. The light was spreading more and more, until an enormous radius shined with her pearl's light, the illusion of a Giant Ape disappearing into nothingness. But to her surprise, five familiar colors started to shine as well. Soon they took the form of her friends, the other mermaid princesses coming to her aid.

"It's you! You came!" Lucia smiled gratefully, immensely relieved that her friends came to the rescue. But then her eyes went wide at Hanon's and Rina's wounded state.

"Oh no, are you two alright?" Lucia asked out of concern.

"Don't worry about us, it's not as bad as it looks." Rina said, rubbing her temples at the bruise she received.

"But how did you get here?" Lucia said.

"Your pearl summoned us here when we heard your call for help." Hanon smiled.

"Miss Noel, Miss Coco, here are your pearls." Hippo said, with two mermaids nodding as they took the respective pearls. Now that there were six mermaid princesses, they were confident that they will beat Gaito for good and escape this nightmarish place.

"Voice of the Pink Pearl!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Voice of the Purple Pearl!" Karen exclaimed.

"Voice of the Dark Blue Pearl!" Noel exclaimed.

"Voice of the Yellow Pearl!" Coco exclaimed.

Soon after, they activated their bracelets and assumed their ascended forms. Now that Noel and Coco were freed, they too gained the ability to use the ascended forms, like Lucia, Hanon, Rina and Karen. Now the six mermaid princesses are ready for battle.

"Why you… how dare you defy me, you wretched mermaid princesses?!" Gaito said angrily.

"We will continue to defy you until we restore peace in our tranquil seas. And now we will bring light to the darkness." Lucia said with a newfound vigor now that her friends fight by her side.

"Live for you, mermaid voice!" The six mermaid princesses said as they were singing a song in unison.

"All new challenges are waiting for me,  
The sea makes me all determined.  
I now close my eyes, for i know the pain  
of the incoming fall."

"I stand boldly, watching what awaits me  
now is not the time to hide.  
I raise my head high, i will give you all  
for that i promised."

"When something in the darkness is  
happening, happening, happening"

"Thats only just the two of us  
you and me, you and me, you and me"

"Dont go now.  
Dont go now!"

"The days are all gracious  
for i want to share them with you.  
For one thing is certain  
That i will always want you."

"The morning is peaceful  
when i believe i have you.  
When everything is possible  
i recognize you, its easy."

"For only wish is the strength of true love."

"Loving power of the mermaids!" The six mermaids pointed at their enemy in unison and delivered a finishing blow. Gaito stood there stunned as the realm around him shattered, releasing Hippo and the mermaids and sending them back in the real world, in Gaito's throne room.

"I can't believe it! We did it!" Lucia cheered when she saw that Gaito was apparently no more.

"Yes, we won!" Hanon cheered. Noel and Coco also cheered, while Rina and Karen smiled at the group. But the cheers and adulations were quickly quenched as they heard an awfully familiar laughter echoing in the chambers.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed. This is the first time anyone managed to escape my realm and lives to tell about it." Gaito smirked with closed eyes as he appeared out of nowhere, standing in front of his throne. The mermaid gawked as they looked at Gaito with faces filled with shock.

"What? But how?" Hanon said in shock.

"Why didn't our singing have any effect on you?" Lucia said, also in shock.

"All seven mermaid princesses need to be present in order for your melody to form a unique power. Without a final mermaid, you don't stand a chance against me." Gaito smirked disappeared into stern frown. "And now, I promise you this, all of you will suffer the full extent of my wrath!" Gaito said sternly, with purple aura surrounding him.

The situation looked grim for the mermaid princesses. With Sara's mind and heart corrupted by her anger and thirst for vengeance, Lucia and her friends are now at the mercy of this monstrous foe. Will Gaito finally claim their pearls and take over the world? Or will they be able to fend him off long enough for Goku to return? With the fate of the entire world hanging in the balance, Goku's help can't come fast enough. They can only hope he will arrive in time.


	19. Chapter 19

~Confrontations~

Far away into the skies away from the city, Goku is flying at fast speed on his Flying Nimbus to reach the sinister castle before anything drastic happens. As he was drawing near, he noticed the dark clouds on the horizon, with occasional thunder and lightning appearing.

"It looks like I'm getting close. Even from this far away, I can sense a big power level. I can barely sense several other power levels as well, but they are all masked by that enormous and awful energy." Goku frowned as he thought outloud. Then he looked down in surprise to the highway below as he saw a massive row of cars, trucks and other land vehicles heading away from the city.

"Man, what a pile up! Whatever that castle is, it really scared the people of South City good." Goku said to himself before he looked back to the storm in the horizon. "I have a bad feeling about all this, something tells me I need to get to that castle as fast as I can." Then he frowned further as he rushed to get to South City and confront this new enemy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gaito grinned as he conjured a dark energy ball and launched it at Lucia.

"Lucia, look out!" Karen said, lunging towards Lucia and pushing her out of the way of the blast, which exploded at the wall, destroying a large section of it. But Gaito only found amusement from her panicked intervention. Then he fired another dark energy ball at Noel, but Hippo jumped in front of her and cleaved the energy blast in two with his key-like longsword. Gaito fired another blast, which was also cut in half. Then Gaito proceeded to fire a volley of energy attacks. Hippo managed to cut through most of them, but one of the blasts hit him, sending him flying backwards, followed by several other energy attacks.

"Hippo! Are you alright?!" Lucia called out for him in a greatly worried voice.

"Hippo!" Hanon and Rina called out as well. But after the smoke cleared, Hippo used his key to form a protective golden barrier around him. The mermaids sighed in relief that he was alright.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be alright." Hippo lowered the barrier, but rubbed his stomach in pain as he took a full force of the blast, heading next to the mermaids.

"You actually managed to survive a direct attack? Impressive." Gaito said mockingly.

"Be careful girls, his power seemed to have increased immensely since the last time we faced him." Rina said, with other mermaids nodding in response. Then a strange mark appeared on Gaito's forehead.

"What is that?" Lucia asked.

"Probably the Mark of Panthalassa." Karen said.

"Do you see how fruitless your resistance is? I am now stronger than ever and with seventh mermaid princess missing, what hope do you have to win this fight?" Gaito smirked as he sat on his throne with closed eyes. Then he opened his eyes as he looked towards Lucia. "I guess I should thank you for helping me achieve my ultimate potential, mermaid princess of the North Pacific." He smirked. The other mermaids looked at Lucia with puzzled expressions.

"What are you talking about?! I would never help you!" Lucia exclaimed angrily.

"Oh, but you did. By choosing Goku over my little brother Kaito, you helped me to reunite with him and complete the Power of Panthalassa, thus reaching the absolute power I desired for years." Gaito said. Lucia, Hanon and Rina were shocked at the information.

"What? You are Kaito's brother?" Lucia asked said in shock.

"That's right, Kaito is my little brother that was separated from me years ago. And now with his return, I have the power to destroy you and take your pearls. Then the entire world will be mine to rule!" Gaito smirked.

"Keep dreaming!" Rina said sternly.

"Don't think that we will allow that to happen!" Karen frowned.

"Whatever you say, my mermaid princesses. But the reality is that you are powerless to stop me in every respect. And don't think that you can rely on Goku anymore. He is maybe strong, but with my newfound power, he doesn't even stand a chance against me. I wouldn't be surprised if he slunk back in the hole from where he came from to hide from me." He smirked before he looked at the girls. "So in truth, the choice is simple: you can surrender and hand over your pearls or fall where you stand." He said strictly. Then he unleashed strong dark winds from his body at the mermaids as they flinched a little from the sudden mock attack.

"You are wrong!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Hmm?" Gaito looked at Lucia.

"Goku never ran away from anybody! He defeated you once and he will do it again, just you wait! And for your information, we have other options. We will never surrender to you!" Lucia yelled at Gaito defiantly. Gaito wasn't surprised in the least by her stubbornness, he only found it amusing as he stood up from his throne.

"Very well then. If that is your decision, then I will show you what happens when you defy me. Observe as I drown your precious city and everyone in it back to the sea!" Gaito exclaimed. Hippo and the mermaids' eyes went wide in shock at his statement.

"No, you wouldn't!" Hanon exclaimed.

Gaito merely smirked at their disbelief, with bright beam of light bursting from his forehead like a laser cannon, dark aura surrounding the sinister ruler and lightning cracking in all directions.

* * *

At the same time, Goku reached the vicinity of the city and he already noticed the castle he saw from the TV. But along the way, he also noticed his house. He thought for a moment will he continue on his way to the castle or make a pit stop to take the sack of Senzu Beans. In the end, he turned hard right as he hurried to his house as fast as he was able, jumping down the balcony and rushing inside his house. If he is not wrong and that there were indeed others right next to that massive energy, then he will definitely need those beans. Better safe than sorry, Goku thought.

"Come on, come on, where did I put it? Think!" Goku said to himself, frantically looking left and right in a big hurry. Then he remembered as he immediately left to the kitchen and he found the sack full of Senzu Beans resting on the top shelf next to the stove. Then as he was running out, he stopped for a moment as he noticed his Power Pole leaned next to the corner of the wall. He frowned as he took his faithful weapon, tying it on his back before he took the sack of Senzu Beans next, tying it on his right hip of a belt.

"Right, now no time to waste, off to that castle." He said to himself as he rushed outside. When he went out, he noticed a giant beam bursting from the top tower of the castle and into the sky.

"Whoah, what is that?! Whatever it is, that's a lot of power put into it!" Goku frowned at the sight before he growled. He immediately hopped on his cloud.

"Let's go Nimbus!" Goku exclaimed, immediately rushing at fast speed towards the castle. It didn't take long for him to reach the vicinity of the castle at maximum speed. As he made his destination, he noticed lightning surrounding the giant beam. The storm clouds started to spread even wider, completely engulfing South City and sending strong winds in every direction, making Goku stop on the spot from the sudden wind burst.

"What the… Where did this strong wind come from?" Goku growled as he struggled not to be blown away by the winds. The winds were so strong that it rolled over vehicles, uprooted trees and ripped apart small houses bit by bit. To make it even worse, he noticed a colossal tsunami that was rising in front of the castle and heading towards the city itself.

"It's going to hit the city! I gotta stop it right now!" Goku said as he cupped his hands in front of him.

"KaaaaMeeee… HaaaaMeeee… HAAAAAAAAAA!" He unleashed his signature technique at the tsunami, a massive energy wave heading towards the tide. As it made contact, it sent a shockwave in all directions as the Kamehameha Wave exploded in blinding flash of light. As soon as it faded down, the tide disappeared, but the winds were still present, though it didn't affect Goku at the moment.

"YES! I did it." Goku cheered. But his celebration was short lived as lightning descended on South City in all directions, hitting skyscrapers and streets below. He was relieved that everyone evacuated beforehand, but the destruction wrought to the city was inconceivable, almost as dreadful as King Piccolo's Explosive Demon Wave, the energy attack that reduced the entire city into dust.

Goku's anger was rising steadily as he turned his attention to the purple-tinted castle, now surrounded by lightning. He clenched his fists hard as he witnessed the destruction that was caused by that powerful, evil enemy residing in the castle.

"That monster! If I let him go on like this, the entire planet could be in danger!" Goku growled angrily in immense fury. "Go Nimbus, hurry!" He immediately darted to the castle at maximum speed.

* * *

Within this empowered structure, Gaito is laughing sadistically as he was slowly tearing apart South City.

"Stop that right now!" Hanon exclaimed. Gaito merely laughed off Hanon's warning.

"And now, let the games begin!" Gaito said. He snapped his fingers as he summoned forth his loyal Dark Lovers to battle. The four water demons formed a line as they grinned viciously at the mermaids in front of them. Now that Gaito has reached the peak of his power, he increased their power levels greatly, only moderately higher than the power of The Black Beauty Sisters. Along with their increase in energy, their confidence was boosted tremendously and they were ready to exact hot vengeance for all the humiliation they put them through in front of their lord.

"Like I said, we will be your hosts on this day." Maria grinned maliciously.

"This time, you won't get away so easily." Eril said in her menacing persona.

As for Yuri, her smirk disappeared when she looked in shock at none other than Hippo. Her Hippo. She serves Gaito vigorously, but she couldn't afford to kill the only person that ever showed her kindness, even if he is the protector of the mermaid princesses.

" _Miss Yuri, please don't make me fight you. Don't force me to take you down by attacking the mermaid princesses."_ Hippo thought desperately as he stood in front of the mermaid princesses, ready to transform as soon as the Dark Lovers make their move.

The other three water demons noticed that Yuri's mind was elsewhere.

"Yuri? Yuri!" Maria exclaimed. Yuri's eyes went slightly wide as her mind raced back to reality.

"What? What is it?" Yuri asked.

"Will you snap out of it?! We have mermaid princesses to deal with here." Izure exclaimed. Gaito raised his eyebrow curiously at the green-haired Dark Lover. Her behavior of late has been very peculiar to the ruler of the water demons, he had never seen her so distracted until now.

"Right." Yuri nodded as she clenched her fists in front of her, about to enter the fray with her comrades. But it was a momentary resolve as she looked at her dear Hippo and his handsome and endearing face. She had flashbacks how he bandaged her wound the first time they met, something that she deeply cherished from him. Then she remembered all those times that they shared together. Her mind tells her to obey Gaito's commands and attack the guardian, but her heart tells her otherwise, forcing her body to freeze in place.

"Alright then, you leave me no choice but to fight." Hippo frowned, reluctantly activating his key and transforming into mighty hippocampus. But Maria, Eril and Izure immediately jumped to perform their ultimate technique and take out the guardian from the get go.

"Panthalassa's Retribution!" The three water demons exclaimed as they unleashed a dark lightning beam at Hippo. The guardian screamed as he was paralyzed in place, but this time he was ready. Using the power of The Sealed Key, he managed to free himself and flap his wings hard, sending the three water demons flying backwards in shock and surprise. The attack didn't hurt them at all, but they were caught off guard by that little strategy.

The three water demons turned to Yuri, who had that sad frown on her face as she looked down. Yuri simply doesn't have the heart to attack the only person who ever showed kindness to her. She grew to love him deeply and she simply couldn't fight against him, even in front of Gaito.

"Yuri, what in the world is wrong with you, why won't you attack this creature?!" Eril frowned slightly.

"Are forgetting that…"

"Yuri!" Gaito suddenly interrupted Maria mid-sentence as his voice boomed behind them, making everyone present in the room turn their attention to him. It took Gaito a few moments, but he soon figured out that Yuri has feelings for hippocampus and that angered him greatly. Treason is not something he tolerates and he will not be robbed of his victory because of petty attachments.

"I order you to eliminate this pest. He is the only obstacle in your way to claim the pearls from the mermaid princesses." Gaito commanded in a strict tone.

"Forgive me master Gaito, but I can't." Yuri said in a sad, but slightly afraid voice.

"And why is that?" Gaito asked. Yuri's hesitation to fight Hippo is already blatantly obvious to her comrades and her master, so she might as well tell them the truth.

"Because I love him!" Yuri said immediately. The three water demons and even Gaito was surprised to hear that from her, their eyes going slightly wide. Yuri was not faking it at all, she indeed cares about the mermaid princess' guardian.

"Please forgive me master Gaito. I would gladly fight against the mermaid princesses in your name, but I could never hurt my Hippo. He was the first person to ever show me kindness and he loves me as well. I couldn't bear the thought of him being hurt, even by our hands. That's why I can't fight him." Yuri looked down before she looked at Gaito with glossy eyes.

"Miss Yuri." Hippo said in low voice, touched by Yuri's confession. Lucia, Hanon, Rina and even Karen were surprised to see the Dark Lover defying Gaito's orders to destroy Hippo. Noel and Coco also looked in admiration and respect towards Yuri, her feelings were true and they knew it.

Gaito looked down at Yuri in disgust. He forged the four Dark Lovers to be ruthless instruments of his will and yet there she is, groveling at his feet, begging to show mercy to his enemy. He resided for years in darkness of the bottom of the ocean, he has no intention of showing mercy to his enemies if it means going back to that morbid place where the light can't reach.

"So you are not going to fight our enemy?" Gaito said grimly in low voice.

"No. I can't, not if it means fighting Hippo." Yuri said in low and defeated voice, awaiting her inevitable punishment. But she had no idea what Gaito had in store for her.

"Well, in that case…" Yuri suddenly screamed as she could feel her power being drained away by Gaito, adding the power he granted to her back to his own. Everyone looked in shock, Hippo more so, how Yuri was reduced back to being an ordinary tang fish, swimming away harmlessly.

* * *

At the same time, Goku finally arrived in front of the castle, but he stopped as he checked the citadel and the way where he could enter.

"Alright, I'll try to charge through the front door and see what happens." Goku said to himself. Then he charged with Nimbus at maximum speed, but after he was only a few meters away from the doors, he suddenly got electrocuted by the lightning surrounding the castle, sending him flying backwards. Goku still had sparks around him, but he quickly shook his head to shake off the numbness from the lightning.

"Well, so much for that plan." Goku said as he rubbed his face. Then he flew high above the castle to find another way in.

"Great, with all this lightning surrounding the castle, how am I supposed to break in? I could try the Kamehameha Wave, but if I use too much power trying to break through the barrier, I might destroy the castle entirely." Goku frowned as he examined the citadel thoroughly. Then he frowned further as he wanted to identify several energy signals coming from the inside.

"Hmm, from this vantage point, I can definitely sense other energy signals and not all of them are evil. The enormous energy is definitely bad, but if feels really familiar. As if i faced against this power before. One almost as strong and three weaker ones as well." Then his eyes went slightly wide. "Wait, there are seven other power levels as well, but they are not evil. Four, if not five of them are familiar." Goku said to himself as he fully concentrated on those few familiar energy signals.

"I can feel Hippo's energy, but also… Hanon and Rina? And…" Then his eyes went wide. "Lucia?! What in the world is she doing all the way out here? Why are all of them near that evil energy?" Goku then growled in anger. He was greatly concerned for his friends whose lives are at risk. But moments later, he gasped loudly, his eyes went wide as it finally came to him, the memories of his previous battle against that gray-haired.

" _So, you must be a human who is giving my Dark Lovers so much trouble. Goku, was it?" Gaito said in a calm tone with a smirk._

" _Yeah. And judging by your power, you must be their leader." Goku said sternly, frowning at his opponent._

 _Then he had one flashback after another, how he dominated Gaito at first, before he stole his power, making both of them fight at equal footing. Then how he broke from Gaito's iron grip and proceeded to finish him, until he escaped. Then he remembered all too well about that moment that he discovered that Lucia and the mermaid are one and the same, walking towards the pink mermaid with gentle smile on his face. But he also with heavy heart remembered the part where Aqua Regina appeared and wiped his memories of that day that he fought Gaito and his goons._

" _Yes, I remember now. I fought this Gaito guy before when he was about to hurt Lucia, Hanon and Rina. And then that Aqua Regina lady used her powers to erase my memories of that day._ " He thought in perfect clarity, but then he growled angrily, clenching his fists. _"Why in the world would she do that? If it didn't come to that, I would have stopped Gaito a lot sooner. Now his power has increased exponentially since the last time we fought and I bet that he has more to show."_ He then looked down at the castle.

"I have to hurry and break in fast. Hang in there Lucia, I'll be there with you as soon as I can!" Goku shouted angrily.

* * *

Back inside the castle, the three water demons looked in disbelief at their master. He was always known to be strict, but never to this extent. He has been like this ever since Goku defeated him in their battle in North Pacific.

"I will not tolerate treason of any kind. Why do you think the mermaid princesses are here, to have a tea party? They are here to send us back to the darkness of the sea." Gaito gazed angrily at his three remaining servants, pointing at them. "And you are going to stop them. You have sworn an oath to me that you would fight against the enemies of Panthalassa clan and serve me without question. Now fulfill your duty and destroy our enemies!" Gaito shouted at his servants, with dark aura emanating from his body. The three water demons gulped slightly and their bodies shook a little in fear. Gaito's defeat definitely shattered his pride and even though they cared for their comrade Yuri, they were afraid to push Gaito's anger further. They relented in the end, bowing their heads down in obligation.

"Yes, master Gaito." The three Dark Lovers said simultaneously.

"That bastard. He has no mercy, even for his allies." Karen growled slightly.

"Yeah, it looks like he won't take prisoners this time, we are fighting for our lives." Noel frowned.

As for Hippo, he growled loudly as his body shook in unimaginable fury. The six mermaids noticed how their guardian is about to snap, something that worried them greatly, fearing that he is about to do something reckless.

"Hippo?" Hanon frowned sadly in compassion to Hippo's loss. True, Yuri was her enemy, but she was also Hippo's unofficial girlfriend.

"Hippo, please calm down. I'm sorry for what happened to Yuri, but you got to keep your cool, please." Lucia frowned sadly as well.

But all reason escaped Hippo in that moment as his roar of fury boomed across the halls, charging uncontrollably at none other than Gaito.

"No Hippo, wait!" Lucia reached out for him, but it was no use. He lost himself in immense rage, his heart scarred too deep thanks to Gaito's ruthless dismissal of Yuri.

 **=Play Music: Mermaid Melody ost: Osoi Kuru Teki=**

"GAITOOO!" Hippo yelled furiously as she charged forward. The three water demons used their respective powers to stop the guardian. Their empowered attacks hurt him, but he didn't care for the pain in the slightest. He charged right through the water demons and targeting the ruler himself.

Hippo used all of his energy to form an extremely powerful beam of energy from his eyes and launching it at Gaito from only about ten meters away. But Gaito casually stopped the beam of energy with his hand, finding it rather interesting to strike back at Hippo in all his seething fury.

"A valiant effort, mighty hippocampus, but I'm afraid you are simply not strong enough to beat me!" Gaito exclaimed arrogantly as his dark aura appeared again, firing a dark energy wave and pushing Hippo's eye beam back at him. Then it struck Hippo as he screamed in agony, completely enveloped in Gaito's lightning filled energy attack, sending him back and crashing into what's left of the wall, with the debris falling right on him.

"Hippo!" The six mermaids exclaimed in great worry. After the smoke cleared, Hippo was severely injured, dropping from his hippocampus form back to his penguin form.

"Hippo!" Lucia ran to Hippo's aid, along with Hanon and Rina. They cleared out most of the rocks that buried Hippo beneath, but they were shocked when they found him in severely wounded state, with several bloodstained cuts and visible bruises on his entire body.

"Hippo! Are you okay? Hippo!" Lucia frowned sadly, shaking Hippo gently.

"Please Hippo, say something." Hanon also frowned sadly. Much to their slight relief, Hippo was conscious again.

"Don't… worry about me. You… have to… get out of here, hurry." Hippo said in a weak and drained voice, only having the strength to stay conscious. He gritted his teeth as he struggled to ignore the pain that he felt, but it was too much for their little guardian.

"Why the long faces, mermaid princesses?" Gaito suddenly taunted, with the six mermaids turning their attention to Gaito with fury in their eyes. "This is only the beginning. Dark Lovers, bring them pain. Hop to it!" Gaito folded his arms as he watched the bout unfold, with the three water demons charging at the mermaids and channeling their respective powers.

"Let me show you some of my tricks!" Maria smirked as she conjured two large ice spikes from both of her arms and launched them at the mermaids. Fortunately, they were able to dodge the spikes before it hit the ground. Suddenly, the spikes formed an aura of dark energy, radiating with increased power that the mermaids could feel not too far away.

"It looks like their powers are increased as well. Be careful girls." Coco frowned.

"My turn!" Izure unleashed her dragons, which were twice as big then the usual dragons she conjured in battle. The mermaids barely dodged the dragons, but they unleashed a burst of energy that sent the mermaids near them flying backwards and rolling on the floor. Izure formed another dragon, but this time it hit Noel and inflicting severe damage to the mermaid.

"Noel!" Karen cried out to her sister, immediately running to her aid. He helped her up on her feet, but Noel barely had the strength to stand up after that attack.

"Sister, are you okay?" Karen asked worryingly.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Noel said weakly with one eye open. Rina looked at wounded Noel before she looked at the water demons, frowning and growling slightly in anger at the situation all of them found themselves in, still holding Hippo in her arms.

"It's no use. No matter what we do, they are all over us." Rina said to herself in low voice before she turned to her friends. "We need to take cover, move it!" Rina exclaimed.

"Right." Lucia and Hanon nodded, immediately running towards the pillars for cover, with Coco helping Karen to get Noel behind the pillars as well.

"Ha! There is no escape, mermaid princesses!" Eril grabbed Lucia with her whip-like energy-infused seaweeds, wrapping onto her arms, legs and torso.

"Get over here!" Eril pulled her hard towards them, making Lucia slam onto the ground in front of the water demons.

"Lucia!" The mermaids exclaimed. Lucia looked up to find the Dark Lovers. Her eyes went slightly wide in fear as she knew they are going for the killing blow.

"Wait!" Gaito suddenly said, stopping his servants from their intended execution. "This one is a special case, I will deal with her myself. Keep the other mermaids from interfering, but don't kill them just yet. I want them to see how their beloved friend suffers at my hand." Gaito ordered as he stood up from his throne and heading towards the pink mermaid princess. The Dark Lovers nodded as they stood in front of the mermaids.

"You bastard! Don't you dare lay a finger on Lucia!" Hanon shouted out in anger.

"Leave her alone Gaito!" Rina growled in anger as well. But their threats were ignored as Gaito locked his gaze at Lucia, kneeling to the mermaids as she was still lying on the ground.

"How does it feel knowing that your precious Goku won't save you this time? Your friends are beaten and broken, your so called boyfriend far away from you and your venerable Aqua Regina powerless to even maintain her spectral form. Some boyfriend Goku is if he left you here all alone to die." Gaito smirked before he closed his eyes and lifted his shoulders a bit. "But I don't blame him. He sensed my power and now he is hiding in some hole, afraid to face me." He jested arrogantly. Lucia frowned in anger that he is insulting Goku so casually.

"I heard enough!" Lucia exclaimed. Gaito shot open his eyes at her sudden outburst. "You don't know a thing about Goku! He never backed down from a challenge and he would never leave his friends behind!" Lucia said angrily as she slowly stood on her feet. "If you think he is hiding, then you are dead wrong! He is on his way here and he will beat you just as easily as he did before! Now even your newfound power will be enough to beat my Goku! I know he would never lose to someone like you!" Lucia said, clenching her fists to her sides as she continued to defy Gaito.

Gaito looked at her with blank expression for a few moments before he started to laugh out loud arrogantly. Then after he stopped laughing, in quick succession his entire right arm shifted into bulky clawed hand of pure shadow and extended his arm like a whip to grab Lucia in his iron grip. Lucia screamed out slightly as Gaito grabbed her a little too hard. Gaito then retracted his shadow arm until Lucia's face was about a meter from Gaito's face.

"Well, if you have so much faith in him and if he is indeed on his way here, then let's give him a proper welcoming, with your lifeless body waiting for him. You are about to receive a tremendous amount of punishment that I planned to inflict on Goku!" Gaito exclaimed as he slowly extended his arm higher and higher above him. Then he laughed sadistically before he shouted, swinging his extended arm like a whip downwards and slamming Lucia hard on the ground, with the floor shattering from the impact. Lucia gagged in pain, spitting out a chunk of blood, her mind barely processing the amount of pain inflicted on her.

"LUCIA!" The five mermaids gasped in shock as their eyes went wide, unable to bypass the water demons in front of them to save their friend.

* * *

At the same time, Goku made multiple attempts to break in through the lightning, but it was no use. He even tried to use Kamehameha Wave to break through, but he didn't put all the power into it in fear of disintegrating the castle, much like Master Roshi did to Ox King's castle years ago. But then, he gasped loudly in great shock, his eyes going wide in horror.

"Oh no! Lucia!" Goku exclaimed as he looked down on the castle and growled angrily, clenching his fists hard. "This is bad, her energy is dropping fast. If this keeps up, then she will die." Goku's body trembled in anger as he frantically looked left and right. "What do I do, what do I do?! Come on, there has to be a way in!" He quickly said before he looked down to the sea. Then the idea popped in his head.

"The sea! That's it! I can break inside from below!" He then immediately propelled with his cloud and dived at fast speed in the sea. He quickly made his way up and he aimed to make a hole behind the front gates, so he and his cloud could enter. He then used his energy to charge through the stone floor like a torpedo, with two of his fists extended in front of him and clenching them hard. He breached through the stone with ease, flying high from the breach and spinning forward. Nimbus followed suit, doing a barrel roll and flew below Goku, so he could land on it and immediately make his way to Lucia and her friends.

"Hang in there Lucia, I'm coming!" Goku shouted.

Meanwhile, Lucia screamed and gagged in pain as Gaito smashed her body like a ragdoll over and over again in every direction, on the floor and through a few pillars with his whip-like shadow arm, breaking most of Lucia's bones and blood freely flowing from multiple gashes and cuts, her uniform torn apart in several spots. Lucia whimpered in unimaginable pain as tears flowed from her eyes. She never in her life felt so much pain that she is experiencing right now, her life force slipping away with every brutal, crushing blow.

"I-It… hurts." Lucia said to herself in a whisper, barely having the strength to even stay conscious after all that brutal beating as tears continued to flow from her eyes. But Lucia screamed in immense pain again as Gaito grabbed her again in his iron grip.

"Please stop Gaito, that's enough!" Hanon said, having all she could take from this torment as tears of desperation flowed from her eyes as well. Tears also started to form in Rina's eyes too when she saw in what state Lucia was.

Gaito retracted his arm again, bringing a near-dead mermaid close to him.

"What's wrong, little mermaid? Where is that resolve that you showed me before? Defend yourself or you will die!" Gaito taunted. But Lucia said nothing as her entire body was paralyzed in pain, continuing to whimper as tears couldn't stop flowing pass down her cheeks and blood dropping from her lips.

"It's time to put an end to this." Gaito said as he threw Lucia's limp body away from him, rolling a few times before she laid down on her back, her body completely shredded from the inside, unable to move even an inch. It shattered the hearts of the other mermaids to see Lucia so broken like that. Her body is completely crushed and they could only pray for a miracle to happen.

" _Goku, where are you? Please, I need you."_ Lucia thought sadly in desperation. Gaito retracted his shadow arm and it formed back to normal.

"Don't be sad, mermaid princess, Goku will join you in the afterlife once I'm through with him." Gaito then smirked as he extended his arm, aiming at Lucia. "Goodbye." He said grimly as he unleashed a powerful energy blast towards Lucia. The other mermaids could only close their eyes as they couldn't bear to see her die like that. Their hearts ached in pain as they heard the explosion where Lucia was, with a large smoke covering the area. It was the end of the cheerful and optimistic mermaid that they knew for a long time. Or so they thought.

After the smoke cleared, all of them, even Gaito were completely shocked to see that Lucia was gone, there wasn't even a trace of her. Then they could hear a familiar humming to their left as they noticed a certain fluffy cloud hovering below the ground.

"What? Where did that thing come from?" Izure asked, bewildered to find a mere cloud saving the pink pearl mermaid princess.

"I have no idea." Maria said. Lucia barely opened her eyes as she looked down at the soft and fluffy object below her.

"N-Nimbus?" Lucia said in a whisper. If Goku's cloud came to the rescue, then that meant only one thing. Gaito looked up as he was first to spot none other than Goku, who had that stern and furious look on his face, hovering high above the chamber. He then descended fast and landed down with a loud tock. The mermaids smiled brightly as their hearts were filled with renewed hope and their morale restored.

"GOKU!" Hanon and Rina shouted in immeasurable happiness to see him again. This time, tears of happiness flowed from Lucia's eyes as she smiled gently at her beloved finally coming to the rescue.

"G-Go-ku." Lucia smiled weakly, her heart filling with unbelievable amount of joy.

While the water demons growled at seeing their most hated human arriving to the scene, Gaito folded his arms arrogantly as she gazed at his opponent.

"Welcome Goku. I was wondering when you'd show up." Gaito said. But Goku said nothing as he continued to look at Gaito with that same furious expression he had on his face.

"I don't believe it! He finally made it." Hanon smiled cheerfully.

"Now we definitely have a chance to win!" Rina cheered. Karen also smiled at his arrival. Noel and Coco didn't know who this man was, but he was incredibly handsome and fearless to boot, making them blush slightly.

"I see. Now much for words, are you? Yes, you are a primitive one, you only have desire to fight." Gaito said seriously before he smirked. "Well, I hope you prove to be more of a challenge then those weakling mermaid princesses." He said.

Goku then glanced towards Lucia and his heart ached immensely when he saw her bloodied and beaten body, looking at him with eyes that practically screamed for Goku to help her.

"Lucia." Goku said in low tone, his anger and rage boiling from the inside and threatening to overflow and lash at Gaito in a moment's notice, clenching his fists hard. He then started to walk forward silently towards Gaito, but he didn't had intention to fight Goku just yet. He wanted to make him suffer first before he would annihilate him. He snapped his fingers as the water demons formed up between Goku and Gaito.

"If you want to fight our master, you will have to go through us." Eril said.

"Prepare yourself human, you are about to know the true meaning of pain." Izure said.

But Goku said nothing as he continued to walk forward. His silence was infuriating to the water demons as they charged forward, but Goku disappeared before they would make contact with him, looking left and right to locate him.

" _He's fast."_ Gaito thought. The other three water demons found Goku moments later as he walked towards the mermaids, specifically Lucia.

"Hey Lucia, are you alright?" Goku asked gently, giving her the brightest smile he could to cheer her up, even though it pained him immensely to see her like this.

"Goku. You… you came." Lucia whimpered slightly in pain and joy with one eye half open, tremendously happy to see Goku again.

"Shh, don't talk." Goku said softly as he pulled out a bean from his sack. "Here you go, it's a Senzu Bean. Eat." Goku smiled at Lucia. He fed her gently and Lucia chewed on the bean slowly. Everyone looked at Lucia, waiting anxiously for the bean to kick in. Soon enough, she swallowed the bean and after a few moments, her entire body was healing up in an instant, completely recovered and back to full strength. She hopped from Nimbus on her feet with a bright smile, much to immense relief of Goku and the mermaids and the immense shock to Gaito and the water demons.

"LUCIA!" Hanon and Rina exclaimed in happiness, hugging Lucia tightly.

"WHAT?! It's like he touched her and all of her injuries disappeared!" Izure said in complete shock, her eyes wide.

"This is insane, what is this guy?!" Maria frowned, in similar state like Izure.

"You had us so worried." Rina smiled, with a few tears of joy forming in her eyes.

"Please, don't scare us like that again!" Hanon whimpered slightly, hugging Lucia tightly as she was scared to the core that she could have actually died if it wasn't for Goku.

"I'm sorry that I worried you girls." Lucia smiled at Hanon and Rina, wiping tears and blood from her face with her right glove. Goku also smiled brightly, happy that Lucia was alive and well.

"You two seemed to be beaten up as well. But don't worry, I have just what the doctor ordered." He then took another bean and cracked it in two. "Here Hanon, take half." He gave her one half of the bean and she gladly took it and chewed it.

"Thanks Goku." Hanon smiled while chewing the bean.

"The other half is for you Rina." Goku smiled. Rina blushed slightly before she smiled gently, taking the bean from him.

"Thank you." She said before she chewed on the bean as well.

As Goku proceeded to give the bean to incapacitated Hippo and injured Noel, Gaito watched as the injuries he dealt on the mermaids have disappeared completely.

" _It looks like Goku managed to obtain some sort of wonder drug. The mermaid princesses are as good as new, as if the damage was never inflicted."_ Gaito thought, frowning in irritation. _"This could be a problem."_

Everyone gathered up around Goku after they were healed up.

"Man Goku, you sure took your sweet time coming here." Karen smiled.

"Yeah, sorry if I'm running late, I had a little trouble breaking through that barrier around the castle." Goku smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "But it looks like all of you have gotten a lot stronger since the last time we fought Gaito."

"Yes, but I'm afraid even that wasn't enough. Our songs didn't had any effect on them and we were basically sitting ducks." Hanon frowned slightly as she looked down.

"But now that Goku is here, we can stop them together." Rina smiled at Hanon.

"No." Goku said. The mermaids looked at him in slight surprise. "You guys have done your part, maybe it's best if you sit this one out. This time, I will take them on all by myself." Goku smirked.

"No Goku, you can't! Gaito's power has increased immensely since the last time you fought him, there is no way you can fight him on your own." Lucia frowned sadly in great worry, grabbing onto Goku's arm.

"Don't worry Lucia. They are maybe strong, but I can still handle them." Goku reassured her. Lucia's eyes went slightly wide when Goku called her by her name, something that surprised her greatly in a good way. Is it possible that his memories have finally been restored? Hanon and Rina figured that part out immediately and they were immensely overjoyed for Lucia, but the threat was still imminent and needed to be dealt with.

"Goku, Lucia is not exaggerating, I don't think you are strong enough to handle them on your own. Please, let us help you." Hanon said. But Goku said nothing as he turned sideways and sent a piercing gaze at Gaito and the water demons. His anger was rising greatly, growling loudly as he remembered Lucia's bloodied and beaten body, his anger so great that while aura started to form around him like a wave.

"Goku?" Lucia recoiled slightly in fear as she looked at Goku's furious expression backed up by his white, wave like aura. Then he marched to face his enemies before them.

"Wow, amazing." Rina said. Even though the mermaids can't sense energy, they could feel the intense power radiating from the furious Goku. The mermaids said nothing as they let him do his way, but Lucia smiled in immense joy and her eyes went glossy in happiness.

" _I don't believe it. His memories came back to him, that's why he called me by my name. Go get them, my dear Goku."_ Lucia thought in pure joy. Finally, after all the waiting, Goku's memories have been restored. She would have told everything to Goku what was in her heart this whole time then and there, but Goku was now hell-bent on making them pay for what they have done to her and her friends, so she let him enter the fray. She will have her opportunity eventually.

Goku silently marched and stopped in front of the three water demons who barred the way to their master.

"Let's see what you got, human." Izure grinned viciously.

"Don't think you can beat us so easily now." Eril said.

"In our empowered states, there is nothing you can do to win." Maria smirked.

"It doesn't matter how strong you have become, you will for pay for what you have done all the same." Goku growled in anger. Then he bent his knees and clenched his fists hard, gritting his teeth as he started to power up, with white wavelike aura forming around him. Goku screamed angrily as his energy continued to rise, the ground around him starting to shake, crack and shatter, with rocks rising in the air at incredible display of Goku's power. This time, he plans to take out the Dark Lovers from the get go and deal with Gaito with no interruptions.

The mermaids, water demons and even Gaito looked at Goku in awe as he continued to power up. What Lucia, Hanon and Rina saw from Goku's display of strength and power from before was nothing compared to what they are seeing right now. The mermaids tilted left and right as they tried not to lose balance and fall down due to Goku's intense and earthshattering power up.

"Wow! All of that is from Goku?!" Lucia exclaimed in shock and awe.

"Are you telling he had that much power this whole time?" Karen asked, in similar state like every other mermaid. They couldn't believe that Goku's power was far greater than they ever would have imagined. Even Gaito felt uneasy at this surprising predicament, Goku is far stronger than he anticipated. Then in a mighty roar, Goku finished powering up, the rising rocks stopping in the air for a second before they fell down on the ground, the dust rising slightly before it disappeared as soon as it came.

The water demons also trembled slightly, but they would not back down this time.

" _Unbelievable. How can this human upstart possess so much power?"_ Gaito thought before he smirked. " _No matter, it still won't be enough to beat me, there is no way he will be able to overcome the complete power of Panthalassa."_ He thought, confident that his newfound strength will be enough to destroy Goku. He doesn't know the right estimation of Goku's power level, since he still can't sense energy, he thought that Goku's "power up" was just a show.

"I had enough of this. Time to die!" Izure said as she launched her dragons at Goku, with Maria and Eril following suit with their own respective abilities. But Goku effortlessly dodged volley after volley of their combined attacks, exploding harmlessly in the distance. After a while, Eril charged at Goku and tried to deliver a claw attack, but Goku ducked and delivered a crushing blow on Eril's gut, spitting out a chunk of blood. She stood there for a few seconds before she fell down unconscious on the ground, disappearing into another room where she could recuperate.

Since Noel and Coco never saw Goku fight before, their eyes went wide in complete shock and surprise at his performance. Hippo, Karen, Rina, Hanon and even Lucia were equally surprised that he easily managed to incapacitate Eril in a single blow, even though she was greatly empowered by Gaito.

Maria attacked next after she regained her composure, conjuring a volley of large ice spikes and throwing them towards the young warrior. Goku easily shattered every incoming spike at incredible speed, but Izure used the opportunity to launch her dragons behind him for a potent sneak attack. But Goku jumped back with a flip, dodging the incoming attack and landing gracefully on his feet. But as soon as he landed, Izure and Maria charged at Goku, delivering a flurry of punches. Then they threw simultaneous punches which Goku blocked again before they jumped back. But before Izure could make her move, Goku elbowed her hard in the face, sending her crashing onto a wall, disappearing like Eril did. Then he delivered a reverse roundhouse kick on Maria, also sending her crashing down unconscious. He flipped forward several times before he landed down on the ground, standing sideways and gazing sternly at Gaito.

Gaito growled that once again, his Dark Lovers were easily beaten by this wretched human. Never in his life has ever heard of someone being as strong as him, it was simply inconceivable to even think about it. But he soon regained his composure as he resorted for Plan B.

"An impressive display, human. I have a surprise for you which I'm _dying_ to show to you. Seek me out if you dare." Gaito smirked before he also disappeared in another chamber. Goku merely frowned as he looked at the spot where Gaito was.

"After all the time we spent trying to even lay a hand on those water demons, this guy managed to beat them in a single blow." Noel said in shock.

"This is unreal, who is this guy?" Coco asked.

"His name is Goku." Hanon smiled. Noel and Coco turned their attention towards Hanon. " He is our friend from school and as you have seen, he is incredibly strong."

"Yeah, I'll say." Coco blushed slightly as she looked towards Goku.

"Well Lucia, now is your chance. Go." Rina said gently, nudging her friend to go and use these few moments of reprieve to say what was in her mind. Lucia slowly headed towards Goku, who was still looking at the spot where Gaito was.

 **=Play Music: Mermaid Melody ost- Taiyou no Rakuen=**

"Goku?" Lucia said timidly when she got behind him. Goku turned around with that same goofy smile that she adored so much.

"Huh? Oh hey Lucia, are you okay?" Goku smiled.

"You actually remembered, haven't you?" Lucia smiled gently with glossy eyes, tears of happiness forming in her eyes. It took a moment for Goku to realize on what she is implying to, but he quickly figured out.

"Yeah, I remember the whole thing now. My fight with Gaito, the Dark Lovers, and more importantly the part where you were both the mermaid and Lucia from school. It was you all along." Goku smiled brightly.

"Thank goodness. I waited for so long for your memories to be restored, I prayed for that day to come and here it is." Lucia said, tears of happiness flowing down her cheeks. Then it hit Goku as he finally understood all the pain and suffering she had to endure up until this point. He frowned angrily as he looked down in regret, clenching his fists to his sides. Lucia was a little surprised from his sudden change of mood.

"What is it Goku?" Lucia asked worryingly.

"Now I know why you were crying for a whole week back then. It was because of me." Goku frowned as he looked down.

"What do you mean?" Lucia asked curiously.

"It was after my battle against Gaito." Goku said seriously as he looked at Lucia. "I also remember the part where Aqua Regina lady used her powers to wipe my memories of that day, including the part where I figured out that you were both the mermaid and Lucia from school. After Hanon and Rina told me you were crying for a whole week, I didn't realize it was all because of what she did." Goku then growled slightly as he clenched his right fist in front of him. "Darn it, if I knew she would do something like that, I would have prevented her from doing it. And then I might have stopped Gaito and his Dark Lovers a lot sooner. Then It wouldn't have come to all this." He said. But he soon calmed down as Lucia placed both of her hands on his fist, soothing his nerves and making his face go blank again.

"No Goku, don't be so hard on yourself. I don't care about any of that. All that matters to me is that you finally remembered me." Lucia smiled brightly, tears of happiness still flowing from her eyes. Goku looked at Lucia blankly for a few moments before he smiled.

"Well, I'm glad I did. I'm sorry I made you cry, I didn't mean to do that." Goku grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Yup, that's her Goku alright.

"Oh Goku." Lucia ran to hug him, with Goku reciprocating the hug. Lucia was so happy that she even leaned in to kiss him on the lips. Goku was caught off guard for a second, but he reciprocated the kiss as well, it was becoming natural to him after those few times of kissing with Lucia in both of her forms.

Hippo and the five mermaids smiled brightly at their budding reunion. Noel and Coco were a little disappointed inwardly that Goku was Lucia's boyfriend, but they were happy for her all the same.

"It looks like Goku finally remembered her, I'm so happy for her, aren't you Rina?" Hanon smiled brightly.

"Yes, I am." Rina smiled. But she couldn't help but frown sadly at Goku. Her affection towards him persisted after all this time, even though she repeatedly suppressed it. But now she is having regrets for letting her pride being in a way of making a move on Goku, because he is now officially Lucia's boyfriend. She is not jealous at all at Lucia, she is her best friend after all, but she couldn't help but having a slight heart ache at the fact that Goku will never be her boyfriend.

After a few moments, Goku and Lucia broke from the kiss, with Goku looking at her with childish expression.

"So, does this mean we are boyfriend and girlfriend?" Goku asked innocently. Lucia blushed slightly before she giggled cutely from his question.

"Yes, we are." Lucia nodded in confirmation. Lucia likes the sound of that very, very much. She dreamed about it for years and she wouldn't replace it for anything in the world. And now it finally happened, they are now the official couple.

But suddenly, Goku's smile disappeared as he sensed someone coming. It was a woman with long hair as black as Goku's, standing with that smirk which radiated with murderous attempt in Goku's eyes. Lucia turned to direction Goku was facing and she frowned slightly, now on full alert.

"What? Sara?" Lucia frowned slightly.

"You know her?" Goku asked, looking at Lucia curiously.

"Yeah, she is a mermaid princess of the Indian Ocean. She is the one who imprisoned Taro Mitsuki." Lucia explained. Goku looked at Lucia for a second before he focused on Sara.

" _Man, her power level is a lot higher than the Dark Lovers. Whoever she is, she is definitely looking for trouble."_ Goku thought seriously. Then his eyes went slightly wide. _"Wait a minute. Mr. Mitsuki mentioned a mermaid of the Indian Ocean at school. So she is the mermaid that he was talking about?"_

"Sara, tell me where you're keeping Taro imprisoned. Tell me!" Hanon demanded.

"Foolish mermaid princesses. It is time to wake up to the truth. Love is nothing but a temporary illusion that will destroy you from the inside out if you succumb to it." Sara smirked. Hanon already had enough of her pointless lectures as she wanted to reunite with Taro as soon as possible.

"Sara! Tell us where Taro is or we will force the answer out of you!" Hanon growled in anger as she clenched her fists.

"Hanon, calm down." Rina said, grabbing Hanon by the shoulder.

"Hmm, sounds fun to me, I would love to see you try." Sara taunted. But her smirk disappeared as she frowned at a spiky-haired boy approaching her, standing in front of the six mermaid princesses.

"If you are looking for a fight, then I will be your opponent. Leave them out of this." Goku frowned seriously at the black-haired mermaid.

"So, you are the Goku I heard so much about? It's a shame that you will have to die as well. If not by my hand, then certainly by Gaito's." Sara let out a muffled chuckle.

"Goku." Lucia said, extending her hand to the right in front of him. "Let us take care of Sara."

"But Lucia, she is a lot stronger than the Dark Lovers, you can't beat her." Goku frowned slightly in concern.

"Well, I can't beat her alone, but if all six of us fight together, then we might actually succeed." Lucia frowned seriously as she looked at Goku before she glanced to her comrades. "Girls, are you ready?" She asked. The five mermaids nodded, readying their microphones for a unified melody. Goku wanted to stop her from fighting Sara, but he gave up in the end, taking a few steps back and folding his arms. From the looks of things, it looks like they were about to sing. A rather unorthodox way of fighting, no martial arts whatsoever, but from what he remembered when Lucia fought Izure for the first time, their ability is really useful. And now that there are six of them, their singing will be much more powerful.

"And now Sara, we will show you how great a true love can be." Lucia frowned as a white singing aura formed around the six mermaids.

""Live for you, mermaid voice!" The six mermaid princesses said as they were singing a song in unison.

"All new challenges are waiting for me,  
The sea makes me all determined.  
I now close my eyes, for i know the pain  
of the incoming fall."

"I stand boldly, watching what awaits me  
now is not the time to hide.  
I raise my head high, i will give you all  
for that i promised."

While the mermaids were singing, Goku noticed that Sara is not affected by their ability at all.

"When something in the darkness is  
happening, happening, happening"

"Thats only just the two of us  
you and me, you and me, you and me"

" _What in the world? Even though she is weaker than Gaito, their singing didn't even faze her. I have to be ready to jump in if she makes her move."_ Goku thought.

"Don't go now.  
Don't go now!"

"The days are all gracious  
for i want to share them with you.  
For one thing is certain  
That i will always want you."

"The morning is peaceful  
when i believe i have you.  
When everything is possible  
i recognize you, it's easy."

"For only wish is the strength of true love."

Only after they finished with their singing did they notice their melody didn't had any effect.

"Is that all you got? You don't have anything better to sing for me?" Sara mocked.

"What? Our melody didn't touch your heart in the slightest." Lucia frowned sadly. She realized what Sara had done, but nevertheless she tried to prove to Sara that love is not as repulsive and foul like she firmly believes it to be.

"You fools, did you really think that the melody you earned from Aqua Regina would do you good? Let me show you the void that love delivers and the misery it leaves in its wake." Sara frowned as she pulled out a microphone of her own. But before she could sing, Goku suddenly slapped the microphone from her grip, making it slide on the floor a good distance. Sara shouted out slightly in pain as she grabbed her wrist. Goku didn't want to interfere in their fight, but considering what he learned from his fight against The Black Beauty Sisters and the fact that the mermaids' singing didn't had any effect on Sara, he had no choice but to interfere.

"How dare you, you filthy human? You are going to suffer for it!" Sara exclaimed. But Goku silently frowned at her, ready to make a move of his own should Sara continue to resist. But before either of them could make a move, suddenly, everyone present heard a familiar piano notes echoing around them.

"Girls, do you hear that?" Noel said.

"Yes, that sounds like Taro's music, I'm sure of it." Hanon said.

"Mitsuki." Sara said. She growled slightly in anger as she turned around and started running, picking up her microphone. Hanon immediately ran after her, knowing that she has headed to do something terrible to him.

"Hanon wait!" Lucia shouted, with Goku and the other mermaids following after Hanon.

Sara quickly arrived at the room where Taro is being held, slamming the doors hard as she marched angrily inside.

"Mitsuki, stop playing that piano!" Sara angrily commanded. It fell on deaf ears though, as entranced Taro continued to play, even against her orders.

"Didn't you hear me? Stop it right now!" Sara said, slamming onto piano to stop his incessant playing. But after a few moments of silence, for some reason, Taro continued to play his looped piano notes.

Not too long after Sara entered the room, Hanon arrived.

"Taro, you are alive. I'm so relieved." Hanon smiled, her eyes glossy in happiness. Then Goku and the mermaids arrived soon after.

Sara's anger increased, but she smirked in the end, pulling out her microphone.

"Very well then. If you truly wish to die, then who am I to deny you your own funeral." Sara smirked.

"Nooo!" Hanon shouted as she ran forward to stop Sara.

"Hanon, what are you doing?! It's too dangerous!" Goku shouted, about to run and stop her.

"Goku wait!" Rina exclaimed suddenly.

"What?! Why?!" Goku exclaimed with expression mixed with confusion, worry and anger.

"Cool down and listen. We can't interfere in their struggle." Rina looked at Goku before she glanced to Sara and Hanon. "Taro Mitsuki told us before that he was in a relationship with Sara, but they broke up in the end. And overtime when Mr. Mitsuki was our teacher, Hanon fell in love with him. It may not look like it, but right now they are both fighting for Taro's love. That is why we can't interfere." Rina explained.

"What are you talking about? If we let her fight Sara alone, then she will die!" Goku exclaimed.

"It is a risk we have to take. Just trust me on this one." Rina frowned slightly. Goku was still not convinced, until Lucia decided to step in.

"Don't worry Goku. If Hanon gets in trouble, then you can jump in and save her. You will know when the time is right." Lucia frowned slightly before she smiled gently at Goku at the last part. In the end, Goku decided to stay put, but he still glared at Sara as he was ready at a moment's notice to bail Hanon out of there.

"You won't hurt Taro while I'm here. If you have to hurt someone, then hurt me. Here I am, so bring it on!" Hanon frowned in unwavering determination.

"Look at her being all defiant. Fine, let's see if your resilience and determination is to die for." Sara joked darkly before she started to sing and focus her pessimistic melody only on Hanon.

I lived a fairytale, that i was all yours  
I thought that i weaved our love nest,  
I gave everything too early, i see that now  
i have mistaken but now its late to be ashamed  
Then when you lose everything you believe in  
When they leave you, when you are left alone  
you realize that yours was something important  
which no one cares more than you

Goku growled loudly as he clenching his fists to his sides, struggling to stay in place without charging at Sara to stop her from hurting Hanon anymore than she already has. But when he saw that five mermaids were standing there with a serious frown, waiting to see what happens, he couldn't believe that none of them is going to do anything. Even Lucia was compliant about Rina's protest. He had no choice, he will have to stay with them as well and honor Rina's request. However, if Hanon's energy signal decreases to critical levels, then he will jump in to save her without hesitation.

I don't know if i should believe you'll be mine again  
should i obey my heart, will you leave me  
my heart is seared and it hurts immensely  
i can't forbid my heart to love you  
Ours worlds were one and we loved each other  
We swore eternal love to one another  
But what is left for us  
you are not mine, everything was in vain...

" _It hurts. It hurts so much that my head is going to explode."_ Hanon thought in immense pain. _"But if I give up now, then Taro is going to die. No, I won't let that happen!"_ She thought angrily in determination as she glared daggers at Sara.

Even now, after everything  
i think about you, but i don't want to  
i dream, like before,  
that you love me with all your heart  
if only you could know  
that i would still share everything with you...

When Sara finished, she couldn't believe that Hanon was still on her feet, her determined look never disappearing from her face.

" _What? She is still standing? How is she able to resist this long?"_ Sara thought, frowning sadly. _"Look at her, she doesn't doubt in Taro's love in the slightest, just like me so long ago."_ She then closed her eyes. _"No, I can't even think about it!"_ She thought desperately. And yet, despite years of suppressing those blissful moments, her heart forced that memory to her as flashback appeared in her mind.

 _She was combing her hair gently with her hand, then suddenly, Taro covered her eyes playfully, startling Sara a bit._

" _Hi. Did I startle you?" Taro smiled._

" _You sure did, you goof." Sara smiled. Then Taro jumped in the water, swimming away from Sara in playful manner._

" _Catch me if you can!" Taro said playfully._

" _Get back here, you!" Sara laughed as she tried to catch Taro._

And that was her breaking point. She couldn't hate Taro anymore. She simply couldn't. She harbored years of pure hatred and contempt for Taro in her heart, but she finally has a burnout as tears started to flow from her eyes. Hanon was surprised to say the least, along with Hippo, Goku and the other mermaids present.

" _Is she… crying? Why? Is it because of Taro? I wish I knew."_ Hanon thought in surprise.

Even Goku was greatly surprised by this. He sensed that her dark energy is slowly dissipating from her body. He could even feel that the atmosphere around her completely changed since her last performance a minute ago.

When i think about  
that you are gone  
that i wait new day without you,  
then i don't hear  
the sound of waves,  
they are silent

As Sara was singing, she walked forward and stopped behind Taro. The melody of her singing completely changed from being mind-numbingly painful to soothingly pleasant. Even the spell on Taro lifted as his consciousness returned to him. When he turned around, he couldn't believe that he found Sara, who apparently doesn't resent him at all.

Born happy, so the sun  
is gracing me with warm light  
and i hope  
that the sea  
will guard me well...

"Look, Sara's song completely changed, it's no longer painful for any of us to hear." Lucia said.

" _Incredible. All the evil energy I sense from her is starting to disappear, like it never existed. How is that possible?"_ Goku thought in wonder. He had never sensed someone's energy signal changing so drastically until now.

As Sara continued to sing, Taro backed her up as he played tunes on piano to be in sync with her song.

Here the soul is smiling,  
knows that he is rejoicing  
When my thoughts... find you  
then two beings quickly join as one  
Our smiles ring loudly,  
gaze speaks for us,  
We would stay with no worries, we would stay there  
Then you would know what i have... sown.

After her song ended, Sara's grip on her microphone started to fail as she let it slide through her hand and fall down on the floor.

"Sara." Taro smiled as he turned to look at her beautiful orange eyes.

"Mitsuki." Sara said as she looked back at Taro, their eyes fixed lovingly at each other. It pained Hanon immensely that Taro still had feelings for Sara, but she was glad he was alive nonetheless. But then, Taro felt his strength leaving him as all the days of sitting and constant piano playing finally caught up with him.

"Taro!" Sara and Hanon exclaimed. Sara immediately ran to his aid as she gently picked his head and leaned him up slightly.

"Taro, say something! Taro!" Sara exclaimed worryingly.

"Sara. You finally called me by my name, and not Mitsuki. Just like you did long ago." Taro smiled weakly before he winced in pain, his consciousness slowly slipping away.

"Taro, please, don't force yourself if it hurts you." Sara frowned sadly in concern. Taro struggled to stay conscious, but he smiled weakly to ease Sara's worries slightly.

"No, I have to say this. Listen, i am truly sorry for what I did to you, I never had any intention to hurt you. But I knew I would be in the way of your duties as a mermaid princess to defend the Indian Ocean. That's why I did what had to be done. Please, forgive me for what I did to you." Taro frowned sadly in regret.

"Taro." Sara said with a sad frown, her voice shaky a bit.

"No, I know I can't ask for your forgiveness, but promise me one thing." Taro said.

"Anything." Sara said.

"Promise me that you will remain a mermaid princess of the Indian Ocean. It's what you truly are, Sara." Taro smiled weakly before he finally succumbed to his fatigue and passed out.

"Oh Taro." Sara smiled before she gently hugged him. Everyone, even Goku, was greatly surprised to see that Sara' hair color changed from pitch black to bright orange.

"What? Her hair, it completely changed color, how did she do that?" Goku asked in surprise. He did not see this one coming.

"All of the hatred that she was bearing in her heart has now dissipated, she is back to her old self. Her hatred for him was so strong that it even changed the color of her hair." Karen said.

"Oh, I see." Goku looked at Karen with childish expression.

"I think I understand now." Hanon said in a sad smile as she walked back to her friends.

"Hanon?" Lucia said.

"I realized no matter how hard I try, my dream will never come true. I think it's about time I give up on Taro. If I wanna do what's best for him, then maybe it's probably better if I withdraw from this ordeal. It's the least I can do for Mr. Mitsuki. For my Taro." Hanon said, with her voice being sadder and sadder until tears started to flow from her eyes. "I realize that he will never be mine and yet I still love him. I love him so much it hurts!" Hanon shouted sadly.

"Hanon." Lucia frowned sadly in compassion. Hanon ran towards Lucia, who hugger her to calm her down a bit. She looked at Goku, who also had sad expression of his own on his face. He hated when he saw girls cry, especially Lucia.

But then, the castle started to tremble, alerting everyone present in the room, especially Goku.

"What the… the castle is starting to shake." Noel said.

"What is happening?" Lucia asked

"It looks like Gaito is about to commence his conquest of Earth." Sara said grimly, gently putting down Taro and marching towards Goku and the mermaids, specifically Goku.

"What?!" Goku exclaimed, frowning angrily and clenching his fists.

"Goku, I know I don't have the right to ask for your forgiveness, but I can at least ask for your help. Your strength and power will be most valuable in our fight against Gaito. Will you aid me in overthrowing him?" Sara frowned slightly. Goku frowned sternly as he looked in Sara's eyes. Her evil energy signal may have dissipated from her body, but he was still uneasy about her loyalties, judging by his recent encounter with her. But then again, Gaito was a far greater threat to the planet as he agreed to join forces with her.

"Okay, let's fight Gaito together. But no funny business or the deal is off, got it?" Goku frowned slightly.

"I assure you, if I even raise a hand against you, then you have my permission to kill me, I won't even resist." Sara said grimly. Everyone gasped slightly in minor shock and surprise at her words. "I don't deserve to live for what I have done anyway. I have caused enough damage to Coco's kingdom and mine." Sara frowned in regret as she looked down.

"Sara." Coco frowned sadly. It pained her to see her friend like that, she wished things were different back then. Then they might have saved both of their kingdoms without any incidents.

"Now let's go, Gaito awaits." Sara looked at Goku again with a slight frown. With no time to waste, Goku nodded.

"Alright, lead the way Sara." Goku gave her a battle-ready smirk. Sara nodded as she was walking forward, leading the group to Gaito's chamber.

* * *

After a few minutes of marching, Sara lead them to a large throne room, which looked like arena of a sort.

"Gaito!" Sara exclaimed as she opened the double doors hard. Goku and the seven mermaids entered the throne room, but as they proceeded further in, Goku was surprised to find a familiar face inside.

"Look, that's Kaito!" Goku exclaimed as he noticed Kaito lying down on the ground unconscious.

"The time has come for us to settle the score, Gaito!" Sara said with an angry frown. Gaito's face was filled with shock and heartbreak that her beloved Sara turned against him.

"What?! Don't tell me that you betrayed me as well. Why? Why would you do that?" Gaito said in shock, covering his face with his arm, closing his eyes as his mind tried to process this immense shock. "Everything I have done has been for you and your love, Sara." He said in slight desperation. The mermaids, including Goku, were surprised to see Gaito so distraught.

"Gaito, please, listen to what I have to say." Sara inquired gently, but Gaito didn't listen as his sadness and desperation slowly converted to anger and insanity.

"It's easy for you Sara. You have your mermaid princesses and what do I have? Betrayal of the only person I have ever loved." Gaito said as his anger continued to rise.

"Gaito." Sara frowned sadly, realizing how badly she hurt him with her reckless opposition. She knew he had to be stopped, but she didn't realize the deep wound she inflicted on Gaito's heart in the process.

"But still, I would like to thank you Sara, because now there is nothing and no one in this world that can hold me back. No one can stop me from fulfilling my destiny." Gaito smirked as his eyes went wide in anger and slight insanity.

"Think again Gaito! If you want to conquer this planet, then you are going to have to go through me." Goku declared boldly.

"Ahh, Goku. You finally managed to show up. I was wondering what took you so long, my brother was _dying_ to see you again." Gaito smirked as gestured at Kaito in front of him.

"What?! Kaito is your brother?!" Goku gasped in shock, his eyes wide. Then again, their names are very similar, along with their appearance, so he quickly realized that they are indeed brothers.

"That's right. Before the grand finale begins, you will satisfy his thirst for revenge and fight him instead." Gaito smirked as he gestured his hand in front of him, which glowed in purple aura. Kaito was lifted high in the air, his eyes glowing purple and covered in aura similar to Gaito's. He then landed on his feet, clenching his fists to his sides and glaring daggers at Goku.

"What have you done to Kaito, you creep?! Set him free now!" Goku threatened angrily.

"He surrendered himself to me willingly to achieve the power he wanted to beat you." Gaito smirked.

"You are such a coward!" Rina growled slightly.

"Kaito would never fight against his friends!" Lucia frowned. Gaito laughed arrogantly in response.

"You don't get it, do you? As I said, you are responsible for letting him reach this point where he is now your opponent. If anyone is to be blamed it would be you, mermaid princess Lucia." Gaito smirked.

"What do you mean by that? Tell me!" Goku demanded angrily.

"Do I have to write on paper to make things clear to you?" Gaito rolled his in annoyance before he continued. " Kaito has feelings for your little mermaid, but obviously neither of you noticed."

"What? He does?" Goku said, looking towards Lucia. As for the pink mermaid, her eyes went slightly wide as she _did_ recall Kaito looking at her several times from the corner of her eye rather strangely, having flashbacks of those times when she was hanging out with Goku. She didn't know that Kaito actually had feelings for her, even thought that was pointed out by Hanon a couple of times and was proven somewhat when he had an argument with Goku back then.

"Why do you even care about whether she loves Goku or Kaito? It certainly isn't because of the brotherly bond." Hanon frowned.

"Personally, I don't even care where his heart lies, but it was rather amusing to read his mind and discover all those times where a seething hatred and jealousy for Goku was swelling in his chest." He then looked at Goku. " Despite calling you "friend", deep in his heart he wanted Lucia to be by his side and not yours. I'm sure you noticed at least once a rather unusual behavior about him." Gaito smirked. Goku had a flashback where he was arguing with Kaito at the beach that day. He had no idea what was angering him, until now.

"Overtime, his contempt towards you increased to the point where he even considered fighting you, but he knew he wasn't nowhere near your level of strength. That's why I contacted him and made him the offer, to give him the power he needs to destroy you." Gaito then grinned. "Getting rid of you and winning over the mermaid princess of the North Pacific in the process was a far too tempting of an offer for him to resist. Besides, it would be a win-win situation for both of us: I would get rid of my enemy and he would get his mermaid."

"I don't believe you!" Goku shouted angrily. "Even if he is your brother, Kaito would never do anything to hurt his friends. And for your information, Lucia is not a trophy to be won. She is a person and she will be the one to choose who will she be with!" Goku said.

Lucia blushed a little as her heart melted while looking at him lovingly. Despite his innocent and cheerful nature, he is a fearless warrior who would do anything to protect her. And not only that, he truly cared about her happiness and keeping her safe. Her only happiness is being by Goku's side as a girlfriend and she couldn't be more blessed to have a man such as him.

"Goku." Lucia smiled lovingly.

"Now leave Kaito alone, your fight is with me!" Goku challenged him as he cracked his knuckles, but Gaito merely smirked with a muffled chuckle.

"You are right, I have already wasted enough of my time bickering with a human like you." He then glanced towards Kaito. "Brother, attack this human and put an end to his miserable life!" He commanded. Almost on cue, Kaito charged at Goku at fast speed. Goku was caught off guard, but in mere second he managed to block his punch with his forearm. Then Kaito delivered a kick on Goku's face sending him skiddling on the floor a few yards, but immediately jumping back on his feet.

" _Man, his punch was as strong as Gaito's when we fought the first time."_ Goku thought before he glanced at Gaito. _"Then again, his power level is a lot weaker than it was when I faced him in the other room. But how?"_ He glanced back at Kaito, who charged at him and immediately sending flurry of wild punches and kicks. Even with this kind of power, Kaito didn't have any coordination or strategy, merely brute force. Goku managed to easily dodge Kaito's attacks before he caught both of his hands.

"Kaito! Snap out of it, please! It's me, Goku!" Goku tried to get through to him, but Kaito growled as he used his feet to kick him, but Goku flipped backwards a few times. But he was caught by surprise when Kaito launched a large, dark energy ball at Goku. He barely had the time as he caught the energy ball, struggling a bit. After a few moments of regaining his composure, he threw the energy ball away into a wall and exploding harmlessly from everyone.

" _Kaito's energy is enormous. And I can see why, Gaito must have transferred his power to him to make Kaito stronger. I have to free him somehow from his mind control, but I don't want to do anything drastic to endanger his life."_ Goku thought. Kaito charged at him again, but this time Goku grabbed his right arm before it could thrust home. Then Kaito tried to punch him with his left arm, but it was also caught as well. Goku went on the offensive as he drilled his knee on Kaito's stomach and then punched him in the face, sending him flying a good distance before rolling on the floor. But Kaito immediately stood up, growling loudly as he lunged at Goku again, but Goku jumped in the air and delivered a reverse roundhouse kick behind Kaito's head, sending him crashing onto a pillar.

"Goku!" Rina suddenly exclaimed. Goku glanced towards Rina. "We are trying to save Kaito, not kill him!" She said angrily.

"Yeah, take it easy, you could seriously hurt him." Hanon said.

"Then what the heck do I do? I have no idea how to free him from Gaito's control." Goku frowned slightly.

"You can't." Gaito said, Goku immediately glanced towards him. "You are an idiot if you believe you can break through to him. He now serves the Panthalassa, so there is no way you will see your old Kaito ever again." Gaito smirked.

"No, there is always a way. I just have to try hard and find it." Goku growled slightly as he frowned seriously at Kaito.

"Good luck, you are only wasting time and energy." Gaito grinned with folded arms.

Kaito rushed from the rubble and disappeared into a blur. Goku did the same as sounds of punches and kicks can be heard echoing around the chamber.

"Wow, they are moving so fast I can't keep up at all." Noel said as she barely followed the sounds of their fight echoing seemingly everywhere.

"Yeah, I have never seen anything like this before." Coco said as she too watched the battle unfold.

As for Hippo, he was assessing the situation behind the mermaids in his hippocampus form, carrying Taro on his back. He was carefully watching Gaito if he didn't had any object that might have connection with his mind control over Kaito. As he looked carefully, he saw there was something on his right side of his belt, a faint glow of what looked like a purple crystal of a sort.

" _That must be it, one of those mind-bending crystals that enslaves the captives of Panthalassa to their will. Gaito probably used it so he would conserve his energy for his fight against Mr. Goku."_ Hippo thought as he gently put down Taro with his tail on the floor not far from him. _"If I destroy it, then Mr. Kaito would regain control over himself. But for now, I have to wait for the right time to charge in and take it."_ He thought.

Goku and Kaito suddenly appeared away from each other. Goku had no problem whatsoever keeping up with Kaito, since his power level was the same as Gaito's when he fought him in North Pacific and Goku's power increased greatly since then. Still, if he used too much power on him by accident, then he might actually kill Kaito and that's a little incident he wants to avoid.

Goku gazed sternly at Kaito, having a hard time trying to figure out to get their old Kaito back. But brainwashed Kaito soon glided in the air, thrusting his palms forward as he was charging up a powerful energy attack, electricity sparking around.

" _Okay, this is it. I only got one shot at this, so I have to make it count while he is distracted."_ Hippo thought, readying himself to lunge in a moment's notice at Gaito.

Goku growled slightly as he sensed Kaito's energy increasing. He knew he is going all out with that attack.

" _Oh no! If I let that attack set off, then he will destroy the entire castle. I'm sorry Kaito, but I don't see any other way to save you."_ Goku thought, cupping his hands forward and charging his signature technique to counter Kaito's attack.

"Kaaaa… Meeee…. Haaaa… Meeee…" Goku chanted as blue and white rays radiated from his palms. The mermaids immediately picked up on his attack.

"Goku, don't! If you use the Kamehameha Wave on Kaito, then you will kill him!" Lucia called out for him desperately.

"Don't worry, I will use enough energy only to knock him out! HAAAAAAAAA!" Goku thrusted his hands forward, with Kaito firing his attack at the same time. The two beams collided and the aftershock shattered the walls around the chamber. The winds blew in every direction as the energy attacks stood on a momentary stalemate. The mermaids watched in shock and awe at this incredible beam struggle. Lucia, Hanon and Rina got used to it somewhat, but Sara, Karen, Noel and Coco had never seen anything like this before. It was simply spectacular. If Goku is putting up a fight like this against Kaito, then they could only imagine the power he will unleash against their true enemy, Gaito.

" _Now!"_ Hippo thought as he charged forward around the fighters and making his way to the ruler of Panthalassa himself.

"Hippo, where are you going?!" Rina called out.

"Hippo!" Lucia also called out for him, but it was too late.

"Might Hurricane Fury!" Hippo flapped his wings hard as he caught Gaito off guard. Then he quickly switched to his human form and charged at Gaito, extending his arm and subtly grabbed the crystal. Gaito didn't notice as he thought the guardian settle for a sneak attack, drilling his knee to his stomach and backhanded him in the face, sending him flying downwards and rolling down on the floor.

"Hippo!" Lucia, Hanon and Rina said. Goku also noticed this and he decided to put more energy into the Kamehameha Wave. He shouted as the energy pushed Kaito's attack back, sending him flying backwards before exploding away from the others. Kaito was the only one caught in the explosion as the energy attack destroyed a section of the castle completely.

Everyone looked at the spot where Kaito was. After a while passed and the dust has settled, they found him buried under the rubble, his energy decreasing, but for some reason Gaito's energy was increasing in the process.

"Is he… dead?" Hanon said in a shaky tone.

"No, he isn't." Goku said seriously. The mermaids turned their attention towards him. "His power has been severely crippled, but he is still alive." He said before he smirked. "See?"

The mermaids turned towards Kaito, who stood up, but was pretty banged up after that attack, having cuts and bruises across his entire body and his robed outfit torn apart. Gaito merely laughed arrogantly, making everyone glance at him.

"Do you see now, human? The only way you can truly free Kaito is if you kill him. I wonder if you have the guts to kill your dear friend from school." Gaito taunted. Goku growled loudly as he clenched his fists in anger. The mermaids frowned at Gaito in anger, except Sara, who looked at him sadly.

" _Please Gaito, stop this madness before it's too late."_ She thought desperately.

"Think again, Gaito." Hippo suddenly said. Much to Gaito's shock, he pulled out the crystal he subtly took from him. But before Gaito could react, he smashed it on the floor without hesitation. The crystal let out a burst of light as it shattered. Kaito screamed in pain as he grabbed his head, the power Gaito gave him leaving him and transferring back to Gaito.

"Kaito!" Goku rushed to Kaito's side as he noticed his energy dropping to critical levels. He caught him before he could fall down on the floor.

"Kaito. Hang in there buddy, you are going to be alright." Goku assured, grabbing Kaito's head gently. Then he pulled out a Senzu Bean from his sack. "Eat, this will make you as good as new." He said, carefully feeding the bean to him. Kaito barely chewed the bean. His body fully recovered, but not his mind as the strain he had to endure from mind control and sudden dissipation of large amount of power from his body caught up with him quickly.

"W-wha… Goku?" Kaito said weakly with half open eyes.

"Easy there, you were in for one hell of a ride. Are you okay?" Goku smiled.

"But… how did you..." Kaito smiled weakly, but before he could even apologize for his actions and his ill thoughts for Goku, he passed out.

At the same time, Gaito growled as he was fooled by a weakling like Hippo.

" _That brat wasn't even trying to attack me. He was after that crystal that I kept Kaito under control with."_ Gaito thought angrily.

"You little runt! Die!" Gaito angrily fired a dark energy ball at Hippo. Goku quickly picked up on Gaito's attempt of murder as he disappeared in a blur and reappeared to deflect the attack with Kaito in tow, exploding harmlessly from the group.

" _Curse that human, always getting in the way! No matter, this time I'll make sure he stays down."_ Gaito growled in thought.

Goku gazed at Gaito sternly before he turned his attention to Hippo, carrying unconscious Kaito bridal style.

"Hippo, take Kaito and Mr. Mitsuki out of here, make sure they are safe." Goku frowned seriously as he placed Kaito down near him. "Take the beans too, Gaito might try to get rid of them while I fight him." He said. Hippo then took a sack of beans from Goku.

"But what if the mermaids get injured and you need the beans to heal them?" Hippo frowned slightly.

"It won't come to that, I'll make sure of it. Now go, and hurry." Goku said seriously.

"Yes, Mr. Goku." Hippo nodded, assuming his hippocampus form and gently picking up Taro and Kaito with his tail and placed them on his back. Then he departed from the group to take the unconscious duo to safety. He then looked towards the mermaids.

"Girls, I want you to get as far away from here as you can. I can't fight him at my best if I'm worried about your safety." Goku frowned seriously.

"You want to fight him on your own?!" Lucia exclaimed worryingly.

"Let us help you Goku! Now that there are seven of us, we can beat him for sure!" Hanon exclaimed in demand.

"No! It's me that Gaito wants dead, so I have to beat him alone." Goku said seriously. "Please, find someplace safe and wait until I come back."

"No." Karen suddenly said in a serious tone. Everyone looked at the purple-haired mermaid princess. "This battle is not for you alone to wage. Gaito brought too much suffering not only to my kingdom, but to Noel's as well."

"Not a single kingdom was spared beneath the sea, all of them were attacked by Gaito and his goons." Noel frowned.

"Even before Sara's outburst of rage, my kingdom was assaulted and my people endangered. I am not moving an inch until Gaito is brought to justice." Coco said seriously.

"What they say is true, Goku. My kingdom and Hanon's were reduced to ruins when Gaito attacked. That was the whole reason why we had to go to the surface." Rina said seriously.

"It wasn't exactly that we went to the surface world as tourist. We needed to find a shelter until one day we can strike back at Gaito. And now that day is today." Hanon frowned seriously. Goku finally looked at Lucia to see what she has to say. He was surprised that even she had that serious expression on her face.

"I agree completely with all of them. It is our duty to defend our people and our kingdoms and bring harmony to the seas across the world." Lucia frowned in determination.

"But Lucia…"

"No buts Goku!" Lucia exclaimed seriously. Then her expression softened tremendously into a sad frown. "Listen, despite our obligation to fight against our enemies and defend our lands, I can't bear to let you fight against Gaito alone. Don't force us to run and hide when we can help you. I want to help you. At least let me stay by your side, I can't stand if anything bad happens to you and I'm not there to support you. Please." Lucia said in a worried and sad tone, begging to stay on the battlefield.

Goku sighed as he knew he can't win against all six of them. He knew they were brave, including Lucia, he actually admired their bravery and tenacity to fight Gaito, but since they are so insistent to stay, then he has no choice but to indulge their wish.

"Alright, you win. All of you can stay." He smiled gently before his face went serious again. "But under one condition, I don't want any of you jumping in unless it's absolutely necessary. If you do, then he might take you hostage and use you against me. So unless I'm down for the count, stay put. Got it?" He said seriously. The seven mermaids frowned as they all nodded in unison.

"Good. Now stand back and take cover." Goku then started to walk towards Gaito, who arrogantly folded his arms and waited for Goku to finally end his senseless bickering and finally starts to fight.

" _Be careful, my dear Goku."_ Lucia thought, frowning worryingly and blushing slightly at his broad back and shoulders. Then she too left to join the other mermaids.

"Alright Gaito! No more tricks, no more hiding behind my friends! Fight me one on one and let's end this once and for all!" Goku shouted angrily as he challenged Gaito, taking his fighting position.

"Very well, human. Face me in battle and meet your end." Gaito said as he took his fighting position as well.

 **=Play Music: DBZ Remastered Music episode recap=**

After a long period of time, Gaito is finally going to have a rematch with his sworn enemy. As Hippo is taking Taro and Kaito to safety, the seven mermaid princesses watched in worry and awe as a battle of two great powers is about to unfold. Will Goku's intense training up until this point pay off? Will he have enough strength to stand against the empowered Gaito? The battle for both the surface world and the sea world is about to begin.


	20. Chapter 20

~Darkness Within~

The two fighters stood far away from one another as they gazed at each other sternly. Gaito smirked arrogantly with folded arms, while Goku frowned sternly as he stood sideways, clenching his fists. Gaito waited forever to end Goku's life ever since his humiliating defeat in North Pacific. He relished at the chance to kill that wretched human slowly and painfully. And now, that day has finally arrived. Goku and Gaito then took their fighting stances, ready to commence their decisive battle.

From the sidelines, the seven mermaid princesses spectated from a safe distance the upcoming battle in worry and awe.

"Well, it looks like it's finally time to see what Goku is truly capable of." Rina frowned seriously.

"I only hope all that insane training of his pays off." Hanon said.

" _Oh Goku, please be careful."_ Lucia thought worryingly.

Goku and Gaito waited patiently for one of them to make their first move. After about a minute, Gaito charged at his opponent, his right fist ready. Goku threw a left spinning kick, but Gaito jumped up in the air, flipped forward and threw a right roundhouse kick mid-air, which Goku blocked in a split second. Goku's and Gaito's punches connected before Gaito landed and proceeded to throw a flurry of punches, which Goku easily blocked every single one. Then their knees clashed, but Goku now went on a quick offensive as he delivered a left hook and right roundhouse kick on Gaito's face, sending him flying and crashing through a pillar, the debris crumbling on him.

Goku stood straight up, clenching his fists sideways, waiting for Gaito to get back into the fight. The mermaids looked silently in awe and shock that Goku is holding his own against Gaito, except Lucia, who was smiling gently. Even though Lucia was equally surprised as others present, she knew that Goku trained way too hard to be knocked around by Gaito.

The debris started to crumble a bit before Gaito shouted in a burst of energy, sending the rocks flying in every direction and sending a brief, moderate winds. Gaito cracked his neck left and right with a smirk. Goku's stern expression remained the same as he waited for Gaito to make his move. Gaito clenched his fists as he charged forward again, with Goku raising his hands in front of him to block the incoming attack. But Goku was caught by surprise as Gaito disappeared in a blur and reappeared above him, elbowing him in the head and crashing him into the ground. Gaito wasted no time as he charged and shot a dark energy attack in his hands at point blank range, making the area around them explode, sending dust and debris in all directions. The mermaids covered their faces and closed their eyes to shield themselves from the aftershock.

After the smoke cleared, Gaito's grin turned to shock as Goku used the Afterimage Technique. Goku reappeared from Gaito's right side, kicking him in the stomach and sending him flying and tumbling a good distance away. Goku then landed and stood sideways again.

"Wow, Goku's strength and skill is unbelievable. I have never seen a human that powerful before." Coco said, her voice trembling a bit in complete surprise.

"Yeah, and the fight has only just started." Karen said, also trying to grasp Goku's unfathomable power. She was legitimately surprised to find out that Goku is a lot more powerful than he was when he fought The Black Beauty Sisters back then when she was captured.

" _Incredible. In only a few months after out last fight, not only did he got a lot stronger, but his fighting techniques have greatly improved, he nearly caught me off guard."_ Goku thought before he smirked _. "It looks like I might have to fight for real if this keeps up."_

Gaito growled as he rubbed his stomach and ribs for pain to subside, standing upright.

" _Don't know why I am surprised, Goku's strength increased after our last battle."_ Gaito thought before he smirked. _"But I have yet to show him what I'm truly capable of."_

Gaito again charged forward, but this time Goku charged as well, their elbows colliding in a small shockwave. Then they started throwing punches and kicks at one another. Goku managed to block all of the incoming attacks. Gaito blocked most of Goku's attacks as well, but a few good hits landed on him, from which Gaito immediately retaliated. Then Gaito saw an opening as he sent an uppercut on Goku. Then he crouched slightly as he charged both of his hands and sent a dark energy attack on Goku's stomach, sending him flying and crashing onto a wall. Gaito wasted no time as he sent a barrage of energy attacks at the spot where Goku crashed. The mermaids raised their hands to shield themselves from strong light and flying debris.

"No! Goku!" Lucia shouted worryingly, a surge of pain coursing in her heart.

After the smoke cleared, Goku was nowhere to be seen, making Gaito grin triumphantly.

"That didn't last long. Ah well, that's the end of that." Gaito said as he stood upright.

"Are you sure?" A familiar voice said cheerfully. Gaito's eyes went wide in shock as he found Goku leaning against a pillar, having a wide toothy grin on his face and giggling childishly, with his hands behind his head.

"Phew! Man, he had us worried there for a second." Hanon sighed in relief with a smile.

"He really has a habit of making us worry before he comes back unscathed." Rina joked.

"Go get him, Goku!" Lucia cheered Goku on cheerfully, raising her hands high.

"That was a nice attack, you almost caught me off guard for a second." Goku said cheerfully, cracking his neck left and right. "I have to say, you have improved a lot, I can tell you are not going to make this easy on me." He said cheerfully. Gaito growled by his nonchalant behavior. Just what he needed, an enemy that beaten him to a pulp deliberately making a mockery out of him.

"I don't need to be patronized by a filthy human scum like you!" Gaito shouted in fury as he charged at Goku. Goku's face went serious as his fist collided with Gaito's. Then their left fists collided as well before they jumped back, with Goku charging at him. He threw a right hook, but Gaito jumped back and sent barrage of dark energy attacks again at Goku, which Goku nimbly dodged every one. However, one of the energy attacks were directed at the mermaids.

"Noel, look out!" Karen jumped at her sister to save her from the incoming attack, which exploded harmlessly on the wall.

"Lucia, duck!" Rina jump on Lucia and ducked just in time to dodge the second attack. Goku looked at the mermaids before he frowned seriously.

"This is starting to get out of hand, I have to lure him away from the girls." He said to himself. "Hey Gaito, over here!" He shouted as he stood in the direction away from the mermaids. Gaito continued to fire wildly, but Goku charged at Gaito while dodging his attacks. Gaito suddenly stopped his barrage as he kneed Goku in the stomach before he delivered a double axe handle on his back. Gaito tried to stomp Goku behind his head, but Goku nimbly rolled sideways and jumped back, prompting Gaito to lunge at him, his fists ready. But Goku caught both of his fists and after a few seconds, he leaned back and kicked Gaito in the air with both of his feet. He then disappeared in a blur in the air and backhanded him in the direction where his throne was. It took Gaito a few seconds before he regained his composure mid-air, sliding backwards on his feet. Gaito growled as he launched a powerful energy wave at Goku while he was in midair. Goku raised his hands in front of him just in time to block the attack. The energy wave exploded, sending him flying backwards. The mermaids watched worryingly as Goku was pushed back, but Goku grappled onto a pole of a ruined wall, flipping a few times before he propelled himself forward, spinning forward several times before he landed on his feet gracefully, and immediately taking his fighting position.

The mermaids couldn't believe what they were seeing. The fight that they are witnessing right now would make the previous battles pale in comparison. Goku's level of strength and skill increases with every attack that he delivers on Gaito. Even Gaito himself was taken aback from his unheard of resilience.

"Incredible. Goku's strength is way beyond anything I have ever seen before." Noel said in shock.

"How can a human possess so much power? Is that even possible?" Coco said, in similar state like Noel.

"That was our reaction when he fought Gaito in Lucia's kingdom in North Pacific." Rina frowned slightly.

"What are you saying?" Karen asked Rina.

"I'm saying that the level of power Goku is showing right now is way higher than it was the last time they fought. Every time when we think Goku reached his peak, he always surprises all of us with a new level of strength and skill. Somehow, he keeps getting stronger and stronger every time that he fights." Rina frowned.

"What?! Impossible!" Coco exclaimed in shock.

"How can that be? I have never heard a human getting stronger after every battle." Karen frowned at Rina.

"Well, it seems Goku isn't getting weaker, but stronger, so that's the only explanation. And I have a feeling this is just a tip of the iceberg." Hanon frowned slightly.

" _Please Gaito, you have to stop this madness before you do something that will be beyond redemption."_ Sara thought desperately, clutching her chest worryingly. She knew her sudden side switching wounded Gaito greatly, but she only hoped Goku doesn't kill Gaito in their fight.

Goku silently gazed at his opponent, while Gaito growled angrily, having a vein on the left side of his forehead.

"No, I will not be humiliated like the last time, I will tear this human apart if it's the last thing I do." Gaito growled to himself. After a few seconds, Gaito charged at Goku once again, but this time Goku disappeared from sight, using his Afterimage Technique and performing a move like he did the last time, making multiple copies with silly poses.

"So, it's that trick again?" Gaito frowned before he grinned viciously. "Don't think it will work twice." He said. Then purple aura formed around him, raising his hands in front of him. Then he flexed his arms to his sides, sending a strong explosive dome of energy around him, making all the copies disappeared and revealing the user himself. Goku propelled himself on his feet and skidded a few yards before he stopped.

"What's wrong Goku, not winning as easily as you thought?" Gaito smirked. Goku let out a muffled huff as he smirked too.

"I never said this will be easy. And you are right, my Afterimage Technique didn't work like the last time." Then Goku clenched his fists in front of him. "So how about I show you a few of other tricks I didn't get a chance to use?" He said.

"I don't care what tricks you have up your sleeve, I will kill you anyway." Gaito growled in a dead serious tone, but Goku was unfazed.

"Alright, here goes." He said. To everyone's shock and surprise, Goku disappeared in a short whirlwind out of existence.

"What?!" Gaito exclaimed.

"He-he disappeared! How did he do that?!" Lucia exclaimed in surprise, her eyes wide and mouth agape.

"That's new, good thing I wasn't the only one who saw it." Hanon said, in similar condition like Lucia and four other mermaids. Even Sara was completely taken aback from Goku's brilliant technique. A while passed and not a single sound was heard. Gaito growled as he was making a mockery of him yet again.

"Where are you, human?! I know you are around here somewhere, so stop hiding and fight me, you coward!" Gaito shouted angrily. But then, he heard faint sounds of dashes and leaps from what appears to be in every direction. Gaito looked in every direction, even above him, but Goku was nowhere to be seen at all.

"Do you guys hear that?" Rina asked. It took the other mermaids a while, but then they too could heard the sound of Goku's dashes and footsteps as they grew louder and louder.

"Yeah, I can hear it too, but my ears can't keep up." Noel said.

"He appears to be everywhere. Amazing." Coco frowned slightly in awe.

Gaito looked left and right, frantically trying to locate Goku. But after a while, Gaito's eyes went wide in surprise and fright as Goku appeared in front of him, sticking his tongue out in a playful manner, catching Gaito off guard. He then delivered a power kick on Gaito's stomach, sending him flying and crashing into the ground near the throne.

"Woohoo, alright!" Hanon cheered.

"Way to go, Goku!" Lucia cheered. Rina, Karen, Noel and Coco also cheered Goku on, but Sara was the only one who frowned sadly at the scene. She couldn't cheer for either of them. She wanted to stop Gaito's plan of human extinction, but she also wanted Gaito to be unharmed, which is why she can't cheer Goku on like her comrades.

Goku snickered cheerfully as he gave the mermaids a two-finger sign with a toothy grin. But his cheerful grin immediately turned to serious frown as he heard Gaito slowly standing up with a furious expression.

"That's it. I grow tired of these games, I will not put up with this humiliation any longer!" Gaito growled in fury as he bent his knees slightly and clenched his fists to his sides.

"What is he going to do now?" Lucia asked worryingly as dark aura started to form around Gaito. He gritted his teeth and growled as the dark aura started to slowly increase in size, with purple lightning starting to form around him. After a while, Gaito's eyes started to glow red. Goku's eyes went slightly wide as the attack he was preparing was no joke. Gaito extended his arms and instantly paralyzed him in place. Purple energy and lightning formed around Goku, unable to move a muscle. Goku screamed in pain as the runes started to form on his body in a searing pain.

"Goku!" Lucia shouted out worryingly.

"He is doing it again." Rina growled slightly.

"What? He is doing what again? Tell me." Lucia said desperately.

"It's the same technique that Gaito used on Goku to drain him of his power and add it to his." Rina frowned seriously.

"But I don't understand, he should have seen that one coming! Why would he let him do that?" Hanon exclaimed to Rina.

"I don't know myself, it doesn't make any sense." Rina frowned.

Goku bent his knees and clenched his fists to his sides to endure the pain that was inflicted on him. Gaito snickered maliciously as his plan is seemingly coming to fruition. He then finished his incantation, but to his surprise, he absorbed next to nothing from Goku.

"What? What is going on, where is all that power you had?! Answer me!" Gaito growled angrily. Goku merely let out a muffled laugh as he smirked at him. Then Goku started to scream as he powered up to his maximum. The runes on his body started to crack as Goku continued to increase his energy. Then in a mighty shout, then runes shattered like glass and sent a backlash that sent Gaito falling back down.

"Well, it actually worked. I guess I should thank you for that one." Goku said cheerfully, scratching his nose. Gaito growled as he stood upright.

"Thank me? What do you mean?" Gaito asked.

"It was something you told me in our last fight." Goku smirked, recalling that moment Gaito used his incantation on him. "You told me the only way I can counter your energy absorption technique is if my power exceeds your own. I knew you were eventually going to use it again on me, so that's why I suppressed my power to be almost non-existent, so you wouldn't be able to steal any of my energy."

"Me and my big mouth." Gaito growled to himself.

"Too bad really, it might have worked if you used that technique while being at your best." Goku said. Gaito's eyes went slightly wide. "That's right, I know you weren't fighting me with your full power. If you actually used that technique while being at your maximum, I would have been in a whole lot of trouble."

"Seriously?! Gaito wasn't using his full power?!" Hanon exclaimed in shock.

"He is the ruler of Panthalassa, even before he took Kaito's power, his strength was formidable. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was holding back this whole time." Sara frowned.

"Then again, Goku wasn't fighting seriously either. Looks like both of them are about to go all out on each other." Karen frowned.

All eyes were now fixed on Goku as he stood fearlessly in front of Gaito. They were a little surprised to find not fear or worry, but excitement on his face. As for Goku, he didn't had a real challenge in a long time. He knew the fight with Piccolo was on the horizon, but Gaito proves to be just as formidable. His blood was boiling to finally go all out on Gaito and have a time of his life. He knew he had to win this fight for the sake of Lucia, her friends and all the people of Earth, but his entire being was itching for a challenging fight.

Gaito smirked as he let out an arrogant, muffled laugh.

"It pains me to admit it, but you truly are a gifted warrior. Your battle instincts are impressive and your power is unfathomable." Then Gaito grinned wickedly. "But then, so is mine. Behold, the true power of a king of Panthalassa!" He exclaimed.

He then growled as he clenched his fists to his sides and bent his knees a little. Goku could sense that Gaito's power level was definitely rising, higher than he expected. Gaito shouted as the ground around him started to shake and shatter, small rocks lifting in the air due to the sheer amount of power emanating from Gaito. The purple aura formed around him in a shape of an orb and lightning appeared soon after. Even from outside the castle, the storm clouds send lightning around the castle and strong winds blew in every direction as Gaito continued to power up. Then Gaito screamed as his aura increased in size and send strong winds and debris. Goku and the mermaids raised their hands to shield themselves from Gaito's intense power up. The mermaids struggled to stay on their feet due to the overwhelming power emanating from Gaito.

"What power. Amazing." Goku said as he shielded his face from the winds and debris.

Then Gaito took his fighting stance and charged forward. Goku didn't had the time as Gaito delivered a punch on Goku's face, sending him flying back. But Gaito did not stop there as he jumped overhead and dashed from behind Goku, delivering a hard double axe handle, pinning Goku into the ground. Then he jumped high before he charged from above and drilled both of his knees directly on Goku's stomach, making him gag in pain as he spit out blood. Then Gaito grabbed both of his legs and spun him a few times before he sent him flying, crashing through a few walls.

Then Gaito charged both of his hands as he prepared a powerful energy attack, drawing his hands back as he charged up his energy. Then he thrusted his hands forward and prepared to unleash his attack on his nemesis.

"Here, a little going-away present for you! HYAAAA!" Gaito fired a large, dark energy wave.

Goku gritted his teeth as he slowly got up and back into the fight.

"LOOK OUT GOKU!" Lucia shouted out, hoping that he was listening from that far away.

"Huh?" Goku's eyes went wide as a powerful energy attack was closing in fast. Goku screamed as the attack seemingly enveloped him. The energy wave did not stop there as it continued its way through the castle, destroying one third of it and continued to make its way all the way into the ocean. Then the blast set off in a massive, blinding explosion, sending strong winds in every direction. The mermaids shielded their eyes from the blinding light and tried to stand firmly against the winds. Soon after the light died out, their eyes went in complete awe and shock as an enormous mushroom smoke appeared in the distance, their bodies shaking at the display of destruction before them.

This was something not even Sara expected. Gaito's power increased immensely when he fused his strength with Kaito's. She never thought Gaito was capable of causing so much destruction in a single blast. Sara, along with other mermaids, were left practically speechless as they couldn't describe the battle before them. This was simply something they have never seen in their entire life. But as for Lucia, she was more shaken about Goku than the aftershock of Gaito's blast.

"Goku." Lucia said in a low voice of disbelief.

"No. It can't be. Don't tell me he's… gone." Hanon said, shook up from both the destruction Gaito caused and apparent death of Goku. Usually she was against the belief that Goku would die, but there was no possible way anyone could survive that.

"Don't say that! He can't be gone Hanon!" Lucia shook her head in denial, but tears formed in her eyes soon after. "He just can't." She said as she looked at the spot where Goku was.

Gaito panted a little before he sighed and stood upright with a satisfied grin.

"That's more like it, I have finally destroyed him." Gaito grinned.

"Yoohoo!" A familiar voice suddenly shouted out.

"WHAT?!" Gaito shouted out in shock, looking left and right to find the source of the voice. The mermaids also looked around when they heard a voice as well. Lucia was the first to look up and smiled brightly when she saw…

"Goku!" Lucia said cheerfully, wiping tears from her eyes. The other mermaids smiled brightly as well, excluding Sara, who was neutral during this fight. Gaito growled as he looked at his nemesis, who was hanging from a ceiling column with his left hand.

"Phew! That was too close, any closer and I'd be history." Goku frowned slightly. Then he nudged himself forward and started spinning until he landed on the ground, standing a good distance from Gaito. The mermaids, excluding Sara, cheered that Goku was alive and well, especially Lucia.

"Why won't you just die, you stubborn freak of nature?!" Gaito shouted angrily. Goku merely stuck his tongue out and pulled his lower eye lid childishly, which angered Gaito more.

"Why you impudent…" Gaito growled. Lucia and Hanon couldn't help but giggle from his childish attitude. Even with situation being so severe, he still has that happy-go-lucky attitude.

"You have gotten a lot more powerful since the last time we fought, that's for sure. I can tell you were training hard this whole time." Goku smirked.

"So you noticed?" Gaito smirked arrogantly.

"Yeah, not only your energy increased a lot, but your fighting techniques have improved, it's not as sloppy as it was back then." Goku said.

"Well, it sickened me to the core that I had to replicate your method of getting stronger, but it did paid off in a long run." Gaito frowned seriously as he had flashbacks of his training. "I knew that power alone won't be enough to destroy you, so I have been honing my fighting abilities so that I would be certain I would crush you once and for all."

" _So that's why he was so frequently absent after his defeat in North Pacific. I never would have thought he would actually train, but I can see now for what purpose."_ Sara thought. She never would have expected from Gaito to be so determined to kill Goku that he is willing to go to any lengths to do it, even replicate the martial arts training from the human world, something he wouldn't even dare to think about in the past.

"So now that you have seen my power, you know there is no way you can win this time around, because I will be victorious." Gaito smirked.

"I wouldn't count on it, because I have discovered one weakness that will make you lose this fight." Goku smirked.

"A weakness?" Gaito raised his eyebrow before he started to laugh arrogantly. "So far you didn't do anything to turn the tables in your favor and yet you want to talk about my weakness?!" He then folded his arms cockily. "Fine, I'll play along, due tell of my fatal shortcoming."

"Well, I guess it's only fair, since you did tell me about the weakness of your energy-stealing technique." Goku said casually with a frown, scratching his nose. "You are very powerful, but you are recklessly wasting your strength on your wild energy attacks. If you don't conserve your energy and control the magnitude of your attacks, then you will quickly be out of breath and you won't be able to fight for much longer."

The mermaids, especially Lucia, Hanon and Rina were amazed at how Goku quickly picked up on Gaito's weakness.

"Goku has a point." Karen frowned.

"What do you mean?" Noel asked.

"Gaito was rather reckless in his blasts. And Goku didn't even use his Kamehameha Wave, not even once for this entire fight." Karen explained. She may have seen Goku using the technique once, but it was too spectacular of an energy attack for her to possibly forget about.

"It really baffles me how Goku is so lousy at school and yet when it comes to fighting, he is a total genius." Hanon smiled a little, scratching her head.

"I know, right?" Rina smiled at Hanon. Goku sweat-dropped and almost lost his balance as he could hear Hanon what she was saying even from good distance away.

"Oh come on Hanon, that's not fair! It's not my fault that classes are so boring." Goku whined childishly. Lucia, Hanon and Rina couldn't help but laugh at his childish whining. Karen, Noel and Coco also smiled at Goku, despite of the grim situation that they all found themselves in. However, their smiled disappeared when Gaito went on the offensive as he did not take kindly of Goku ignoring him. He growled angrily as he fired an energy blast on him, but Goku frowned as he barely dodged the attack, but it was quickly followed by a right jab in Goku's face, sending him flying for a few seconds before he flipped backwards a few times and landed on his feet, rubbing his face.

"Hey, what's the deal?! That was a total cheap shot!" Goku whined in pain.

"Well, basically I'm trying to kill you, so you better take this seriously… or fall where you stand." Gaito frowned with a dead serious tone.

"You are not messing around, are ya?" Goku joked, rubbing his face before he took his fighting position. "Alright, let's go." He said as he gave Gaito a battle ready smirk. Gaito also took his fighting stance and readied himself for round two.

Now silence followed as the mermaids drew all of their attention to their fight. Goku was the first to attack as he charged at his opponent, his right fist ready. Gaito blocked the power punch that Goku threw and retaliated with a right roundhouse kick. Goku ducked to dodge the kick and threw left jab, but Gaito sidestepped and was about to deliver a knee strike, but Goku blocked his attack with his own knee and immediately threw right jab, which Gaito caught, throwing him in the air. But Goku propelled himself backwards and charged forward again. Gaito charged at the same time and then punches collided, elbows, knees and then flurry of punches and kicks followed. During the furious assaults from both fighters, Gaito caught Goku's fist and delivered a right uppercut. Then he charged his hand as he was about to deliver an energy blast from point blank range, but Goku quickly recovered and delivered an upward kick in mid-air and delivered a right power kick on Gaito's stomach. Gaito caught his leg and shouted as he slammed Goku on the ground, but Goku quickly recovered and propelled himself backwards, making Gaito miss the punch as he slammed his fist on the ground. He quickly pulled his arm out of the stone hole he made and charged at Goku, but Goku was ready as he threw a spinning kick which Gaito dodged, but at the same time Goku charged his one handed Kamehameha Wave right on Gaito's stomach, sending him flying back and crashing through the pillars and onto a wall in big explosion.

After the smoke cleared, Gaito stood up and growled angrily, disappearing in a blur, with Goku following soon after. The mermaids looked in complete awe as they couldn't believe how extremely fast they were moving, they could just barely see the blurs and occasional lightning sparks as they collided. Lucia, Hanon and Rina somewhat got used to this, but they were just as equally as stunned as Karen, Noel, Coco and Sara as this level of power and speed was far beyond their previous fight.

"This is insane. I knew Gaito was immensely powerful, but Goku doesn't have trouble keeping up with him at all." Karen said in awe.

"I have never seen a human with that much strength and speed, how is that even possible?" Sara frowned slightly, having finally snapped from her neutral trance.

"Well, he was training hard for years, so it's only natural that he got a lot stronger." Lucia smiled.

"Don't be absurd, humans have been known to train for decades and yet I heard none reaching this level of strength and skill, it's impossible." Sara said as Goku and Gaito kept disappearing and reappearing as one dodged the attack of the other.

"Apparently it is. And it looks like the fight won't stop anytime soon." Rina frowned slightly.

Goku reappeared as he delivered an elbow strike on Gaito's face, sending him flying back, but he immediately recovered and jumped in the air, with Goku following suit. But as Goku was about to deliver another blow, Gaito grinned wickedly as his right arm shifted in bulky clawed hand of pure shadow, followed by his left hand. Then Gaito immediately charged at Goku and was about to deliver a fatal claw attack. The mermaids gasped as Goku was apparently struck by Gaito's attack. Fortunately Goku barely had the time to dodge his attack, spinning sideways and flipping back on his feet. After he stood upright, his shirt and undershirt was torn a little from the three claw marks.

"Whoah! That was way too close for comfort." Goku said to himself as his shirt was torn by three claw marks. He growled with a serious frown as he noticed Gaito having that wicked grin of his face as he spread his shadow arms like a vicious predator that was about to tear its prey apart.

"Too bad, that attack would have killed you for sure if you didn't see it coming at the last second." Gaito mocked.

"I didn't know you can turn your arms into weapons." Goku said seriously, clenching his fists to his sides.

"Quite a neat trick, isn't it? It's one of the few surprises I had in store just for this occasion." Gaito grinned wickedly.

Then he lunged at him at fast speed, his clawed shadow hands ready. Goku dodged the attack, but Gaito growled angrily as he continued to hack and slash, but Goku managed to avoid every single blow that Gaito tried to inflict on him. They were dashing all over the place for a while, with Gaito slashing through pillars and walls with relative ease. Then Gaito extended his claws for a piercing attack, which Goku managed to dodge. Then he had enough as he grabbed his left hand first, then his right hand. It was a brief stalemate as Goku and Gaito struggled to gain dominance, but Goku leaned back and kicked him in the air with both of his feet. Then he flipped back and disappeared in a blur, reappearing in the air and delivering a double axe handle on Gaito's back, sending him crashing into the ground. Goku then spinned backwards and landed on his feet, standing upright and readying himself for Gaito's next attack. Gaito growled angrily as he got back on his feet.

"That's a really cool technique you got there, I have never seen anything like it." Goku smiled before he frowned seriously. "But, now it's time for me to finish this fight."

"Fool! It's over when I SAY it's over!" Gaito growled as he shifted his hands into two blades and charged at Goku again, jumping in the air. "Taste my blade!"

"Goku, watch out!" Lucia called out for him worryingly. Goku pulled out a Power Pole and extended it to his height, blocking Gaito's overhead double attack. Gaito continued to slash with his shadow blades, but Goku continued to dodge and block his attacks. Then he skillfully parried his blades and pointed one end of his staff towards Gaito.

"Power Pole extend!" Goku exclaimed. The staff immediately glowed as it started to extend in length, sending Gaito flying and crashing at the wall a good distance away. Then Goku retracted and sheathed his weapon back, waiting for Gaito to appear again.

The mermaids, excluding Lucia, were greatly surprised that such a plain weapon had the ability to extend its length by Goku's command.

"Wow, cool!" Hanon said in amazement.

"That's new." Rina said, also amazed, along with other four mermaids.

After the smoke cleared, Gaito's shadow blades reformed back to his normal arms. Gaito growled angrily he disappeared in a blur and reappeared behind Goku, about to deliver right hook, but Goku ducked and delivered a right kick on Gaito's stomach, followed by left uppercut, right roundhouse kick to his ribs, right hook, left hook, right uppercut, left kick to the ribs and flurry of punches and kicks that followed soon after. Then after Goku delivered left jab, Gaito threw left roundhouse kick which Goku dodged, then right spinning kick, followed by right uppercut, but Goku wrapped his arm under his left knee and delivered a knee attack to the face with his right leg. Then he grabbed his arm and spun him around multiple times before he threw him down. But as Gaito regained his composure and landed on the ground on his feet, Goku cupped his hands in mid-air as he was preparing to finish this fight. Gaito aimed his hand at Goku as dark aura wrapped around it, preparing an energy attack of his own.

"Kaaa… Meee…"

"RAAAAHHHH!" Gaito shouted as he unleashed a powerful, dark energy blast at Goku.

"Haaa… Meee…" Goku chanted his ultimate technique as bluish-white rays emanated from his hands.

"HAAAAAA!" Goku unleashed his attack before Gaito's blast could make contact with Goku, having a momentary beam struggle. Seconds later, Goku was slowly pushing Gaito's attack, his energy wave slowly, but surely pushing through. The mermaids watched in awe at the amazing display of beam struggle between two powerful combatants.

"Impossible!" Gaito said angrily as he found himself unable to push back Goku's powerful energy wave. Soon enough, he cancelled his attack and immediately caught Goku's Kamehameha Wave with his hands. Goku screamed as he put more power into his energy wave, slowly consuming Gaito.

"I… can't… stop it." Gaito gritted his teeth as he struggled to deflect his attack, but the energy attack set off, exploding and destroying another section of the castle, the debris flying in every direction and large smoke appearing from the aftershock of the attack.

The mermaids shielded themselves from the strong light that illuminated the entire area after the energy attack struck, with winds and debris flying everywhere. After the smoke settled down and the debris crumbling around the spot where Goku's Kamehameha Wave set off, the mermaids had mixed reactions to this. Karen's, Noel's, Coco's and Sara's eyes went wide in shock and awe, completely stunned by Goku's incredible attack. Lucia, Hanon and Rina were equally baffled as even though they have seen him perform that technique more than once in the past, this time his energy attack was far more impressive to behold as the very force of the blast threatened to consume them as well. But knowing Goku, he had it under control.

Goku was spinning forward in the air and landed next to Gaito, standing upright. He was inhaling deeply and sighing, relaxing his muscles as he looked at battered and beaten Gaito, who was lying unconscious in the rubble, his face down and his expression concealed by his hair. Goku waited patiently for any signs of him being conscious, but he didn't kill him as he could still sense his energy.

"Is it over?" Rina asked.

"It's over! He won!" Hanon said cheerfully.

"Alright!" Lucia cheered, clapping her hands with Hanon's high in the air. Karen, Noel and Coco also cheered with Lucia, Hanon and Rina, but Sara was the only mermaid princess who was saddened by Gaito's defeat, mostly due to the fact that she developed feelings for him during her stay in his castle, despite of the fact that she still loved Taro.

"Goku, you did it! You did it!" Lucia said cheerfully with a bright smile as she ran towards him. Goku's serious face changed to his typical innocent expression as he turned around to Lucia and smiled. Lucia jumped and hugged him tightly, spinning around once before Goku dropped her down.

"You won, I knew you could do it." Lucia smiled brightly. Goku's face then went serious as he looked at Gaito. Lucia's smile disappeared when she saw his serious expression and she too looked at Gaito's battered state. Goku had thoughts about finishing him off on the spot, but then he looked at Sara, who had a very sad expression on her face, worried by what Goku's next move would be. In a way, her sad expression reminded him of that moment when Eighter stopped him from executing General White years ago in Muscle Tower, having flashbacks of that time.

" _You've won, it's over." Eighter said as he grabbed Goku's arm._

" _Not yet, I have to finish him." Kid Goku said to Eighter before he turned to bruised General White. "Look at him, all he ever does is hurt people. If I don't end this right now, he'll never stop." Kid Goku said angrily._

" _Maybe, but if you give in to your anger, you'll be no different than he is. You are better than that, Goku." Eighter pleaded._

Eighter had a point, if he had killed him there and then, he would have been no better than a common murderer. Granted, he did try to spare Mercenary Tao, but he threw a grenade as a last ditch effort to kill Goku, only to kick it straight back to the assassin and consuming him in firestorm instead. However, a monster like King Piccolo severely questioned his leniency towards his enemies as he killed a lot of innocent people, including Krillin and Master Roshi. But in the end, judging that Gaito didn't kill anyone, even though he tried to, he nonetheless decided to spare him. Besides, Sara cares about him from what he noticed and killing him won't do anything.

"Umm, Goku? Is he…" Lucia stopped mid-sentence, a little shaken because this is the first time she saw a presumably dead person in front of her.

"No" Goku said simply, with Lucia looking back at Goku, who didn't avert his gaze from his opponent. "He is alive, I can still sense his energy, but he'll be out cold like this for a while. Hopefully this will be a lesson to him not to hurt innocent people ever again." He said seriously.

"So you are going to let him go? What if he comes back and try to kill you again?" Lucia said worryingly with a sad frown.

"That won't happen. If he tries to do something like this again, I'll stop him, just like I did today." Goku smiled to ease her worries, placing his hands on her shoulders. Lucia looked at him worryingly before she nodded with a smile.

"I know you will Goku. I believe in you." Lucia smiled gently.

"Thanks Lucia." Goku smiled with his trademark grin before he turned towards the mermaids, keeping his gaze at Lucia. "What do you say we join the others and head home?" Goku said. Lucia nodded in agreement as they headed together to rejoin the mermaids.

However, the fight was far from over. Gaito grinned wickedly as this was the moment he was waiting for. He charged his hand to deliver a decisive blow that will end Goku's life. Goku's eyes went wide as he could suddenly feel a surge of energy coursing behind him. Gaito fired a dark energy blast straight behind Goku.

"Goku, watch out!" Lucia pushed Goku out of the way of the blast, catching Goku by complete surprise. But Lucia took a full brunt of the surprise attack as the blast went straight through her stomach, her eyes wide in unimaginable agony. The mermaids, especially Goku, were shell-shocked as all of them gasped loudly, their eyes wide in disbelief. Lucia's limp body was sent flying back a good yards between Goku and the other mermaids, coughing up a chunk of blood as she slammed down on the ground.

"LUCIAAA!" The six mermaids shouted as they rushed to her side, most notably Hanon and Rina.

"Oh no! Please no!" Hanon said in disbelief as tears formed in her eyes. She quickly kneeled down and grabbed her behind her head "Lucia! Please, say something! Lucia!" She shouted with teary eyes.

"Lucia, please don't die on me! Don't you dare die on me!" Rina shouted in mixture of anger, disbelief and sorrow, starting to sniff and hiccup a little as her dearest friend was dying fast. Lucia again coughed up blood as she found herself unable to even open her eyes, let alone speak. This shattered the mermaids' hearts completely, even Sara's when she saw what Gaito had done.

"Oh my goodness, please no." Hanon cried as she leaned her head on Lucia's forehead, hoping against hope that she would make it somehow. Karen, Noel and Coco also had tears in their eyes, with Noel covering her mouth with her hands in shock.

As for Goku, his eyes were wide as his body shook in shock and disbelief, completely paralyzed in place.

"Lucia." Goku said in low tone in complete disbelief. But soon his shock turned to anger as his entire body tensed up, his very blood was boiling after what Gaito had done. He clenched his fists hard and gritted his teeth in unbridled fury, growling like an animal as his rage was boiling with every second.

"Shoot, that attack was meant for Goku. But ah well, that's one less mermaid princess to deal with later." Gaito shrugged.

Goku's rage increased when he heard Gaito shrugging Lucia's life like it was nothing. But Gaito found amusement in it as he decided to end Goku next.

"Alright then, you're next human!" Gaito clenched his fist hard. Then he charged and delivered a heavy punch straight on Goku's face. But soon enough, Gaito's wicked grin turned to that of shock as he only managed to tilt Goku's head to the right, his attack having no effect on him at all. Goku was slowly turning left with a dead serious and vengeful look on his face, ready to make Gaito pay for what he had done. Gaito stood in shock for a moment before he regained his composure. But as he was raising his hand to deliver another punch, Goku swiftly delivered a crushing blow to the gut, paralyzing Gaito in place in extreme pain, coughing up a chunk of blood. Gaito took a few steps back as he could barely process the pain inflicted on him, holding his stomach with his hands. Gaito growled as he looked up at furious Goku glaring daggers at him. But before Gaito could retaliate, Goku threw a devastating uppercut, followed by crushing right hook, kick to the ribs and a flurry of brutal, bonecrushing punches and kicks.

The mermaids watched as Goku was beating Gaito into the ground. Not even Hanon and Rina have ever seen Goku attacking so wildly and with ruthless abandon. Gaito gagged and coughed out blood in pure agony as he felt his entire body being completely destroyed from the inside out as Goku continued to ruthlessly deliver one crushing blow after another. Goku delivered a power kick, sending him flying back, then he disappeared in a blur and reappeared behind Gaito, delivering a kick that sent him in the air. Goku disappeared again as he delivered a powerful elbow strike on Gaito's back, finally knocking him out unconscious and sending him crashing hard onto a wall, destroying it completely. But Goku did not stop there as in raging fury, he charged up a more powerful variation of his ultimate technique to destroy Gaito once and for all: Super Kamehameha.

"KAAAAAAMEEEEEE… HAAAAAAMMEEEEEEE…" Goku shouted in rage as his hands shined with intense blush-white rays. But then, Maria, Eril and Izure teleported near Gaito, having finally recovered after Goku's previous assault.

"Master Gaito, are you okay?" Eril asked worryingly. But then they noticed the entire room being shined with strange bluish-white rays. Their eyes went wide in shock as it was Goku and he did not look happy at all, especially when he was charging a lethal attack.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Goku shouted at the top of his lungs as he unleashed Super Kamehameha.

"WE HAVE TO GO! NOW!" Izure said. Eril and Maria quickly teleported Gaito from harm's way before the energy wave could obliterate them. But not only did it destroy a large section of the castle, but it also continued its way to the ocean and exploded violently, sending blinding light in every direction, forming a massive dome that was bigger than Gaito's energy attack. But soon enough, after the dust cleared, Goku was breathing hard as he tried to relax his tense muscles a bit, trying to subside the rage that was burning like a flame within him. Soon enough, one thought quickly came to his mind as he turned his attention to the near dead mermaid.

"Lucia!" Goku quickly ran towards the other mermaids, most notably Lucia, kneeling right next to her, gritting his teeth in disbelief.

"Man, you are in really bad shape, are ya?" Goku said in low voice, gently holding her head as he looked at the gaping chest wound and the blood leaking below her.

"Goku, please tell me she is still alive." Hanon pleaded with teary eyes, knowing Goku can sense energy. But Goku continued to growl in anger and desperation as he had no idea how to save her life at the moment.

"Goku?" Hanon frowned sadly.

"She is alive for now, but her energy is dropping fast. At this rate she will die." Goku gritted his teeth in anger and desperation.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!" Rina screamed angrily, tears streaming from her eyes. "There has to be a way to save her." Rina frowned sadly. Goku looked at Rina before he glanced back at Lucia.

" _Darn it! If only I had a Senzu Bean, she would have been up and running in no time."_ Goku thought desperately. Then Goku's eyes went wide as idea popped in his head.

"The Senzu Beans! That's it!" Goku exclaimed suddenly, surprising the other mermaids.

"What about the Senzu Beans, Goku?" Rina asked. Then her eyes went wide. "Are you saying that…"

"Yeah, there is still a chance to save Lucia, but we have to give her a Senzu Bean right away." Goku frowned at Rina before he glanced to the blue mermaid. "Hanon, where is Hippo?"

"He went to take Taro and Kaito to safety." Hanon said.

"What's taking him so long? He should have been back by now." Goku frowned seriously.

"Goku! Mermaid princesses!" A familiar voice suddenly called out from the sky.

"Hippo! Perfect timing." Rina smiled. Hippo was shell-shocked to find Lucia at death's door.

"MISS LUCIA!" Hippo shouted as he reverted from his hippocampus form to his human form, running towards the pink mermaid.

"Mr. Goku, what happened to her?!" Hippo frowned sadly.

"No time to explain! Give me a Senzu Bean, hurry!" Goku exclaimed seriously.

"Right." Hippo nodded as he pulled out a bean from the sack, immediately giving it to Goku.

"Hey Lucia. Lucia, wake up. Look, it's a Senzu Bean, you are going to be alright." Goku gently nudged her head to wake her up, but she didn't even made a slightest motion, making Hippo and the mermaids fear the worst.

"Come on Lucia, please, wake up! Please!" Goku exclaimed desperately, but still nothing. "Not good, she is in no condition to chew a Senzu Bean and swallow it."

"OF COURSE SHE IS NOT, SHE HAS A DAMN HOLE IN HER CHEST!" Rina boomed furiously, but sorrow slowly replaced her anger as more tears flowed from her eyes, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Calm down, Rina!" Hanon frowned before she glanced to Goku. "Listen, you chew the bean and try to feed it to Lucia with your mouth. That's the only option we have at this point."

Goku looked at her blankly for a few seconds, trying to figure out where she is going with that plan before he frowned. Hanon was right, in Lucia's current state, swallowing entire bean would have no effect, so swallowing small bits of the bean might work to regenerate her gaping chest wound.

"Right." Goku said. He immediately chewed the Senzu Bean to small bits before he looked at Lucia.

" _Alright, here goes nothing."_ He thought as he closed his eyes, his lips connecting with Lucia's and slowly feeding her grinded Senzu Bean. He then pulled away from the kiss and waited for bean to kick in. Several seconds passed and Lucia was in the same condition as she was before, looking a little pale. Hanon started to cry on Rina's shoulder, Karen hugged Noel to comfort her, while Goku clenched his fist angrily. He couldn't understand, the Senzu Beans usually kick in as soon as they were swallowed.

But then, he noticed how her entrails were regenerating faster and faster, the bean starting to take effect as intended, followed by her muscles and finally her skin, until her entire chest was restored back to normal, her pale color disappearing and having her original skin color back. Goku smiled brightly as he looked at Lucia, who was slowly opening her eyes. The mermaids wiped their tears as they too smiled, especially Hanon and Rina.

"G… Goku?" Lucia said in a whisper.

"Hey Lucia, are you okay?" Goku said with his typical goofy grin. Lucia smiled brightly when she saw him.

"Goku!" Lucia hugged him tightly, immensely thankful that he saved her yet again. Goku stood up, not breaking Lucia's hug as he chuckled light-heartedly. The other mermaids cheered that Lucia is back to normal, excluding Sara, who was merely smiling gently. Hanon and Rina hugged Lucia tightly.

"Lucia, you idiot! You had us worried sick back there!" Hanon whimpered happily.

"Please, don't you ever scare us like that again." Rina said. She may act tough most of the time, but seeing Lucia in such a bloodied and mutilated state simply wounded her heart and she just had to express her overflowing joy of seeing her alive again.

"Thanks Goku, you saved my life again." Lucia smiled gratefully with glossy eyes, leaning her head on his chest.

"No Lucia, this time you were the one who saved _my_ life." Goku smirked proudly.

"What? I did?" Lucia looked at him blankly.

"Yeah. If it wasn't for you, I would have been dead right now. You pushed me out of the way of Gaito's blast without any regard for your own life, even though it meant certain demise for you. You should be proud of yourself." Goku smiled. Lucia's heart warmed greatly as she smiled with a blush. She pecked him on his cheek, making Goku's expression go blank.

"Thank you. Your words mean so much to me." Lucia smiled gently, looking down and blushing slightly. Goku smiled back, happy that she was alright.

But suddenly, Rina smacked Goku hard in the head.

"Oww! Rina, what was that for?!" Goku whined childishly, rubbing his head for pain to subside.

"Are you out of your mind?! If you had finished off Gaito there and then, Lucia would not had that hole in her chest to begin with!" Rina scolded Goku.

"Well, that's part true. It's just…" Goku scratched his chin nervously before he looked down seriously, slightly surprising the mermaids. "There were opponents back then that were just as evil as Gaito. I always thought that killing them wouldn't make me any better than them. That was the reason I spared Gaito, but Lucia almost paid the price for his evil ways." He then looked at the mermaids seriously. "This time, I don't have any intention to spare him. If I do, then not only you guys would be killed, but everyone on the planet as well."

Sara was saddened to hear that from Goku. Then again, Gaito wasted his opportunity to make it out of the battle alive, but when round two starts, Goku will go for blood and that's something she really wanted to avoid and somehow spare Gaito's life.

"What do you mean, this time? Are you telling me that Gaito managed to survive that attack?" Karen frowned slightly.

"He did. Just when I was about to destroy him with my Kamehameha Wave, three people suddenly came to the rescue and bailed him out of the way of the blast. My guess is that it's probably those three Dark Lovers that I have beaten before. Now Gaito is no doubt recovering for round two." Goku then glanced towards the orange mermaid. "Sara, you know where he is, don't you?" He asked. Sara nodded in response.

"Yes. Gaito is residing in his private chambers, that's where those three Dark Lovers took him." Sara frowned seriously.

"Alright then, lead the way Sara." He looked at Sara before he turned to the rest of the group. "You guys ready?" He asked. Hippo and the six mermaids frowned in determination as they nodded in agreement.

After a while of walking, Sara lead them to the doors leading to Gaito's chambers.

"So this is it, huh?" Goku asked.

"Yes, these massive doors lead to the chamber where Gaito resides." Sara said.

"How are we supposed to break in? It's seemed to be locked pretty tight." Lucia asked.

"No idea, this is the first time I have seen it this fortified." Sara frowned slightly as she looked at the doors.

* * *

Meanwhile, within the chambers, the three remaining Dark Lovers were kneeling before Gaito, who was placed in sitting position, with his head bowed down as he was in no condition to even stay conscious.

"Here master Gaito, we offer you our energy, so you may restore your own." Izure said as she started to glow with dark aura.

"You who rescued me from the darkness of the sea, I owe you my very life. Take as much energy as you need." Eril said as she too started to glow with dark aura.

"Master Gaito, I too submit myself to your will, I too offer my energy so you may return to full power. Know that i… no, know that us Dark Lovers love you with all our heart. Now rise, master." Maria smiled.

Then the three Dark Lovers enveloped Gaito in shadowy aura as they transferred all of their energy to him, including the energy they need to stay alive. They didn't care if that will kill them if it means restoring their master to his former glory. Gaito could feel his strength returning to him as his full power was now restored. But when he opened his eyes, he noticed three dead fishes near him. He realized the price they paid to help him recover and he didn't like it one bit.

"My power has been restored, I am ready for conquest once again." Gaito frowned as he looked at the fishes who were once his servants. "I will not waste this strength you have given to me. I swear I will make this entire planet tremble before me!" He exclaimed as dark aura expanded around him, with purple lightning furiously crackling around him.

* * *

From the other side of the doors…

"OPEEEN SESAMEEEE!" Goku shouted to the massive doors in front of him.

"Wow, seriously?" Rina raised her eyebrow in annoyance. Lucia, Hanon, Noel and Coco couldn't help but giggle cutely, while Karen, Rina and Hippo face palmed in annoyance. Sara merely shook her head, a little baffled how someone so powerful can be so childish.

"Well, I guess that one didn't work." Goku chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"Go figure." Sara narrowed her eyes. Then Goku's face went serious as he glanced back at the doors.

"Alright, guess I have no choice but to blast my way in." Goku said as he cupped his hands in front of him. But suddenly, he sensed a tremendous surge of evil energy that was slowly expanding. And it felt like it's moving their way.

"Move!" Goku jumped and grabbed Sara bridal style, dashing away from the doors. The doors exploded and a massive dark blanket covered with shadow and lightning formed like a wall. Not only that, the entire castle started to quake by the massive power that suddenly formed In front of Goku and the mermaids.

"Whoah, what is that?!" Goku asked, his eyes wide in surprise.

"This is the Power of Panthalassa that is radiating from Gaito's body, The Aura of Hate." Sara frowned as she looked at the wall of shadow and lightning in front of them.

"Incredible, his power level increased immensely, it's amazing!" Goku said excitedly, pumping his fists in front of him.

"Now is _really_ not the time to be excited, Goku." Rina narrowed her eyes at Goku before she glanced at the shadowy aura. "Listen you guys, Gaito is residing within that aura, we have to drag him out of there before things get out of hand." She said.

"That's impossible. There is absolutely no way anyone can get near Gaito while that aura is present, unless Gaito himself allows it." Sara said.

"Is that so?" Goku frowned slightly at Sara before he looked at the barrier. "Well, if he won't come out and fight us, then ill force him to show himself." Goku frowned as he cupped his hands in front of him, then swinging them to his side. Sara's eyes went wide as she knew all too well what he was up to.

"Wait Goku, don't do it!" Sara exclaimed, raising her hand in front of him. Goku raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"What? Why?" Goku asked curiously.

"Let me try to convince him to end this madness. There has to be a way to settle this without spilling blood." Sara frowned seriously.

"But Sara, how do you know you won't get disintegrated if you get near that aura?" Karen asked.

"It is a risk I have to take. I started all this mess and now I am going to finish it." Sara frowned seriously before she smiled gently. "Besides, I owe this to Taro and Hanon. They succeeded in melting the heart that was frozen for too long." Then she frowned seriously again. "It is my duty now to soothe Gaito's raging heart."

Goku was a little lost at the first part. How is she responsible for Gaito's actions? But before he could ask, Sara already started to get closer and closer to the barrier, standing mere inches away from it.

"Gaito, can you hear me? It's me, Sara. I need to talk to you." She frowned, continuing to walk forward. Much to her relief and to surprise of the rest of the company, Sara wasn't affected by the destructive energies of the barrier as she entered the shadows without any harm.

"He actually let her in." Lucia frowned slightly.

"I wonder if she will be alright in there." Hanon said. Now Goku, Hippo and the mermaids waited for Sara's return, hopefully in one piece.

Meanwhile, Sara reached the center of the barrier and found Gaito, surrounded by dark aura and constant lightning surrounding him. Gaito's rage was soothed a little when he saw Sara approaching.

"Well done, Sara. You actually managed to get through, but you are well aware of the consequences of doing so." Gaito smiled, but it wasn't a cocky smirk that he had before, but a genuine smile as he was still attached somewhat to Sara. "Everyone turned their back on me, including you Sara." He said with a remorseful look on his face.

"I never betrayed you, Gaito." Sara frowned. "I was the one who insisted that you take revenge on the human world in my name. I was the one who convinced you to conquer the land and the sea for my pleasure." Then Sara frowned sadly. "I came here because I want to relieve you of that obligation."

"SILENCE!" Gaito shouted angrily, startling Sara by his sudden outburst, his aura increasing in size and lightning flickering violently around him. Sara cried out in pain as lightning struck her like a whip and continued to flicker around her.

"Don't give yourself too much credit, Sara. This is my destiny as the king of Panthalassa and you know that all too well." Gaito said angrily.

"So… you are going to continue the war on Aqua Regina?" Sara gritted her teeth as she struggled to fight through the pain. "Please, don't do it. You know you can change your destiny, you can still save yourself. Find the courage and abandon the cursed tribe of Panthalassa, join Aqua Regina while you still have the chance." Sara pleaded, frowning sadly. "Don't you understand? If you don't change your ways, you will wage an endless war."

"I said be quiet! No more smart talk!" Gaito shouted angrily as he increased the velocity of his lightning, inflicting more damage to Sara as her body felt numb, making her fall down on the ground.

"I will not listen to anyone, even you. You stabbed me in the back the moment you joined the side of the mermaid princesses. Especially that wretched human Goku." Gaito gritted his teeth angrily. "Now i am driven by rage alone and no one will tell me what to do ever again!" He then raised his hands high. "My dear palace, let us begin to reduce the human world to ash!" He shouted.

"Gaito. Please don't do it. Don't start that conquest. Please." Sara whimpered in sad voice, but Gaito paid no heed to it at all.

"From the ashes I shall ascend and create a magnificent kingdom in my image, ruled by the Panthalassa tribe across the planet!" Gaito grinned, starting to laugh like a maniac, completely lost in rage and insanity. Sara's heart shattered now that she witnessed how far Gaito was gone mentally.

" _Poor Gaito. He is actually going through with his mad ambition."_ Sara thought sadly. _"But if I abandon him now, he will be alone again, and I can't allow him to plunge into that state of despair caused by his loneliness. If I do, then the damage might be permanent and who knows what he would be capable of then."_ She then closed her eyes and bowed her head down in defeat. _"My dear mermaid princesses, please forgive me."_

From outside of the aura of hate, Goku frowned seriously as he looked at the barrier in front of him.

"What's going on? Why isn't Sara coming out?" Coco asked.

"Don't tell me she betrayed us again." Karen frowned slightly.

"No, she didn't." Goku frowned.

"How do you know?" Rina asked curiously.

"Because her energy signal got weaker. It looks like she's in trouble." Goku said seriously.

"Sara." Lucia said in a low voice as she looked at the shadow barrier in front of them. She had no idea how to help Sara from where they stand and knowing Goku, he would probably blast his way in and possibly obliterate Sara, along with Gaito. She thought of one solution, thought it was a long shot, but it was still worth a try. She closed her eyes and started to sing The Legend of the Mermaid.

"The seven colored wind  
blows across the long plateau."

"Huh?" Goku, Karen, Noel and Coco turned their attention towards Lucia, followed by Hanon, Rina and Hippo.

"At the peak  
A nostalgic song was playing."

" _That's strange, what's she up to?"_ Goku thought as he looked at Lucia curiously.

And before the dawn  
I could hear a melody."

Soon enough, Hanon and Rina picked up on what she was planning to do and joined their voices with Lucia's.

And I knew  
That this song,  
Would only bring joy and love."

Then Karen, Noel and Coco also joined them in their singing.

"What in the world?" Goku said as he looked at the mermaids, wondering why they would sing at a time like this.

"Look to the east,  
What do you see?  
Little birds flying far away.  
They,  
Are flying off to a place,  
Full of love,  
It's like a treasure."

At the same time during their singing, Gaito heard the mermaids singing and started to laugh arrogantly.

"They can't be serious." Gaito mocked. Sara however, looked at her orange seashell pendant and listened to the singing of their comrades. She then frowned in determination as she realized that this was her cue to act and save Gaito.

"The seven seas have always been my paradise.  
A place where all the love in my heart is realized.  
Even after,  
a night in the storm,  
The joy in my heart,  
can always be reborn.

As soon as Sara joined her voice with the other mermaids, their combined melody is finally having an effect on the ruler himself as he grabbed his head in pain.

"Sara! Stop with your singing!" Gaito growled painfully, but Sara did not listen as she knew it was for his own good.

"Your lonely soul needs to be rescued, and it looks like I found a way to do it. That's why I am singing in front of you Gaito." Sara said as she continued to sing along.

Listen to the melody of seven lands.  
It will always be here till the very end.  
Even if no one remembers this,  
I won't forget.  
Legend of the sea."

"Aqua Regina, I beg of you, come forth and save Gaito's soul!" Sara called out desperately as she knew singing wasn't enough. Then, much to Goku's surprise, the aura completely dissipated and the pearls within the pendants of the seven mermaid princesses started to glow with respective colors, summoning the echo of none other than…

"Aqua Regina!" Gaito exclaimed angrily.

Goku frowned slightly as he immediately recalled what Aqua Regina did back in North Pacific. He wanted to say a word or two for what she did, but right now Gaito needed to be dealt with.

"Give up Gaito. You are outnumbered and outmatched, there's no way that you can win this fight." Goku said seriously.

"Why you insolent…" Gaito gritted his teeth in fury and clenched his fists by Goku's sheer audacity to declare his defeat when he is still standing.

As for Aqua Regina, she had a rather remorseful look on her face.

"I am to be blamed for not having the strength to prevent these chain of events from ever occurring." Aqua Regina said, starting to have flashbacks of the past. "When I defeated a matron deity of the Panthalassa and stopped her army of evil, her sinister powers remained like a blight on this world. Even though the deity was gone, the residual energies she left in her wake had enough power to destroy this planet. I was too weak back then to completely erase her evil powers and her forces at the same time, so I had no choice but cut its power in half and transform the first half into pure light, separating the two powers to the opposite sides of the planet. Over five centuries it was unknown when would they manifest, until now. That's why the twins had to remain apart from each other."

Goku understood that story from Korin, but the mermaid princesses were surprised that Gaito and Kaito were physical manifestations of their deity's leftover energy. It would explain the incredible power that Gaito displayed during his fight with Goku.

"Enough with your stupid story, is that your excuse Aqua Regina?!" Gaito shouted angrily, looking down in thought, having flashbacks of the past while his anger continued to boil within him.

 **=Play Music: Dragon Ball Super OST Birth of a God (0:00 to 2:08)=**

"All my life I was imprisoned in the darkness of the bottom of the sea, where the only company I had were the creatures that dwell in those depths." Gaito said, having remembered how he used his power to turn four different species of fish into the Dark Lovers.

" _At your service, Master Gaito!" The four Dark Lovers said simultaneously._

"But then I met Sara, someone who was equally as lonely as I was. I thought I could in a way fill the void in my heart, so I decided to fulfill her wish. Her desire was to raze the human world to its foundations." Gaito said. Goku and the mermaid princesses were surprised to hear that as they glanced to Sara, who bowed her head down in shame. Goku frowned slightly in slight anger and disappointment as he realized that she had intention of making this entire planet suffer because of a simple break up with Taro.

Then Gaito looked up furiously at Aqua Regina as his aura doubled in size and lightning sparkling around him again.

"But I am alone again and I have lost Sara forever. Now my only solace is the sound of this world crumbling to dust and screams of humankind!" Gaito gritted his teeth as his power level is rising, lightning violently crackling in every direction. Goku took his fighting position as he readied himself for Gaito's move. Then Gaito glared daggers at his most hated nemesis.

"And my first order of business is to obliterate all of you… especially YOU… GOKU!" Gaito growled in immense anger and rage, almost like an animal.

Goku and the mermaids' eyes went wide as they were caught in surprise by his sudden change in voice. Then Gaito let out a bloodcurdling roar as his aura tripled in size, lightning shooting in every direction and the entire castle, or what's left of it, quaking by the raw power emanating from his body, with lightning even shooting outside.

"Not good, his power level is growing fast." Goku growled, shielding his face with his arms.

But what surprised them the most, even Goku as he stood upright, is that great shadows started to envelop Gaito, his eyes going bloody red in unbridled fury and starting to growl loudly, his voice being deeper and deeper by the second. Within the shadows, Gaito's limbs started to increase in size and change in form. Wings and tail sprouted from his back, his arms and legs forming to be dragon like, his skin turned into solid scale of pure shadow, his teeth turned to fangs and sharpened significantly, his face forming into that of a dragon. He continued to grow in size until he was fifty feet tall.

Goku and the mermaids were shocked at this unexpected development, their bodies trembling slightly in surprise and disbelief.

"What... What's happening?" Sara said. Not even she ever expected for Gaito to undergo a drastic transformation as this.

"He's… totally changed." Goku's eyes went wide in surprise.

Then at the same time, shadows started to dissipate and the monster's wings started to spread, revealing a form that was the combination of a humanoid demon and a dragon. The monster that was Gaito let out a loud and howling roar. The mermaids shook in fear and awe while Goku remained rooted in place by Gaito's sudden transformation.

Without anyone thought possible, Gaito managed to unveil the ultimate power from within and transformed into a mighty dragon like avatar of Lillith. With this unfathomable power now brought to the surface, how will Goku and the mermaid princesses stop him before he wreaks havoc on the people of Earth? What was once a seemingly one sided battle, they now fight for their very survival.

* * *

 **A/N. We reached OVER 9000! views. Thank you all so much for all the views and reviews so far, it means so much to me. Sorry it took a while to post this chapter, but my summer job started, so story updates will be slower, but ill still try to update it as soon as possible. For those who are curious of how the dragon form for Lillith and Gaito looks like for this story, my pick as Amethyst General, Pandox Lord of the Void, because it seemed to be a perfect fit, only Gaito's Dragon Form is little bulkier. :)**

 **-Super Kamehameha Yeah, i just love that moment in Saiyan Saga, but the one from when Gohan went SSJ2 was accidental :D**

 **-Kakarotsanmistic Thanks a lot man, well hope you found it to your liking in this chapter :)**

 **-Haseo55 Thank you, i appreciate it. Well, like it says in the story description, Goku's life took a completely different turn :)**

 **-drake202 Yup, Gaito will not go down so easily as you may have noticed in this chapter :)**

 **Thanks again everyone and as always, ill see you in the next chapter :)**


	21. Chapter 21

~Twist of Fate~

Goku and the mermaid princesses watched in utter shock and surprise as Gaito's body is completely changing in form, shifting in shadows and increasing tremendously in size, his power skyrocketing, higher than Goku expected.

"No way." Lucia said to herself in shock.

Then Gaito's new form was revealed to be a monstrous humanoid dragon, letting out a loud and howling roar that boomed across the chamber and shaking its surroundings. The mermaids found themselves practically speechless, too shocked to utter a word. Goku looked at his newly empowered and transformed adversary in shock and awe, his body slightly trembling, while Aqua Regina looked at almost a splitting image of the Panthalassa's matron deity. But before she could act, instead of the monster attacking her, much to her surprise, Gaito growled angrily as he fixed his bloodshot eyes at his most hated enemy, Goku. He then clenched his clawed fists in front of him, sparks of pure, dark energy making their way in Gaito's body, intense dark aura forming around him. Goku's eyes went wide as he quickly picked up on what he plans to do.

"RUUUN!" Goku shouted to the mermaids. Then Gaito unleashed a devastating explosive wave in all directions. Aqua Regina was caught off guard as she yet again disappeared while the blast engulfed and completely destroyed what's left of the castle. If the castle wasn't a good distance away from the shore, South City would have been caught in its massive radius as well.

After the dust settled down, the monster looked around as he hovered in the air with his wings, knowing that Goku would not be taken down so easily. Besides, he planned to give him an agonizing death and he will enjoy every minute of it. Then he turned around and looked up, noticing Goku holding Lucia and Hanon in his arms, while transformed Hippo had other five mermaids on his back. The mermaids looked down in horror at Gaito's new form.

"Wha… what happened to Gaito? How did he transform into that… thing?" Karen asked in shocked state, much like everyone else in the group. Even Sara was horrified to find Gaito that she knew for a while transformed into an abomination that he is now.

"What kind of… monster did Gaito turn into?" Hanon said in a trembling voice. Lucia looked at Goku, who was also in a similar condition like the mermaids, looking down at the monster with a serious frown mixed with shock and awe, which worried Lucia greatly.

"Goku?" Lucia said, but no answer. Then without warning, Gaito charged in a mighty roar at his nemesis. Goku's eyes went wide by his charge, but then he frowned seriously as he immediately regained his composure.

"Hippo, catch!" Goku shouted as he tossed Lucia and Hanon at the guardian. The mermaids screamed a little by Goku's sudden move, but Hippo caught the mermaids with his tail. Then Goku quickly flew in the opposite direction, where Gaito would not harm Hippo and the mermaids. He attempted a right claw attack at Goku, followed by left claw attack, but he nimbly dodged them and quickly landed on a cliff. But Gaito immediately charged again, slamming his fist into the ground and shattering the entire cliff. Goku lost balance from the crumbling earth beneath him and he was falling down into the sea.

"NIMBUS!" Goku called out for his cloud. Then Flying Nimbus appeared from the skies and caught Goku mid-air. Goku propelled himself on his feet and immediately flew towards the open sea. Gaito immediately followed as he flapped his wings, sending hurricane winds as he was flying as fast as Goku's nimbus cloud. Hippo struggled not to be blown away by the winds, along with the mermaids that were holding onto his back.

"Goku!" Lucia shouted out worryingly.

"Hurry Hippo, we have to follow them before they get away!" Rina frowned seriously.

"Right!" Hippo nodded as he flew in the direction Goku and Gaito went.

"Are you insane?! What can we possibly do to sto-whoah!" Hanon screamed as she quickly grabbed onto Hippo's back when he suddenly propelled himself forward to catch up with the two combatants.

At the same time, Goku was flying at fast speed, trying to make some distance between them, but Gaito is in relentless pursuit, determined to spill Goku's blood. Gaito had a wicked grin as he breathed shadowflame from his mouth. Goku and his Nimbus cloud were caught a bit by the attack, with Goku comically trying to put out the fire on his butt before he dived quickly at the sea and quickly surfacing back. Gaito breathed shadowflame again, but this time Goku nimbly dodged his lethal attack.

" **What's the matter Goku, you are no longer in a mood to battle? Quit running like a coward and fight!"** Gaito taunted in a deep, beastly voice as he slammed his fist at the water's surface, causing an enormous splash, but Goku dodged his attack, pressing on further into the open sea. Then tendrils started to continuously sprout from the sea like spikes, aiming towards Goku, but he saw them coming and he nimbly dodged Gaito's attacks from below, but not being aware that Gaito was slowly getting closer to him. He opened his massive jaws and was about to chomp Goku, but Goku screamed in panic as he quickly flew forward just when Gaito closed his jaws, grinning wickedly as he found amusement in Goku's fear. Gaito continued to relentlessly chase Goku, with Goku looking back at the dragon with a serious frown.

"Man, this guy is really fast." Goku said seriously. Then he noticed a seemingly large island as he was flying forward. But before he could formulate a strategy, Gaito grinned wickedly as he suddenly flapped his wings hard. Goku only had time to look behind as he was caught in hurricane winds, spinning around in a tornado. Gaito then flew right above Goku.

" **Going down."** Gaito said as he backhanded Goku, sending him flying down like a meteor. But as Goku was about to crash into the ground, he flipped backwards and skidded several yards backwards. Goku gritted his teeth and growled, clenching his fists as he looked above at the monster hovering with a vicious grin on his face. He didn't want to end Goku's life quickly, so he decided to have some fun instead.

" **Come forth wyverns of the deeps, overwhelm my enemy and send him into oblivion!"** Gaito commanded. Within the darkness of the sea, a swarm of dragon-like creatures have answered their master's call and erupted from the surface, flying high in the sky until they surrounded Gaito, fixing their gaze at Goku. Each of the wyverns were twice of Goku's size, their skins similar to Gaito's transformed state.

Gaito merely tilted his head upward, which was all the army of the wyverns needed to tear Goku's body to shreds. Goku took a fighting stance as the wyverns swooped down with a howling screeches and roars. Goku immediately went on the offensive as soon as the wyverns were in reach. Even though they were vicious creatures, Goku's power and fighting experience helped him dodge their attacks and take them down one by one, even though it was rather tricky with so many charging at him.

About a minute later, Hippo finally caught up with Goku and Gaito, with mermaid princesses clinging onto his back due to how high Hippo was flying.

"Goku is in trouble, we have to help him before it's too late." Lucia said worryingly.

"There is nothing we can do now Lucia, the odds are stacked heavily against us. We would have been slaughtered by those beasts before we even have a chance to sing." Rina frowned seriously.

"But there has to be a way to save Goku, we can't just leave him to fight down there by himself." Lucia said desperately.

"No." Sara shook her head. "I'm afraid we are all doomed." She said in a defeated voice.

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying it is impossible to beat Gaito now that he turned into that monster?" Hanon frowned slightly.

"Yes. You don't understand do you?" Sara looked at Hanon before she turned her gaze to Gaito. "I never thought it was possible, but Gaito achieved a transformation that mirrors the matron deity of the Panthalassa, something I thought only the goddess herself was capable of. Even if all seven of us were to sing, it would not even faze him. At this point, only Aqua Regina herself can defeat him."

"Aqua Regina had the opportunity to obliterate Gaito on the spot and yet she hesitated and dropped her guard!" Karen said angrily as she looked at Sara before she looked down towards Goku.

"Easy there, Karen. As much as Gaito deserves it, Aqua Regina is not a killer. You know that." Rina frowned.

"Either way, we are on our own. And if we don't do something soon, we're history." Noel said seriously. Lucia frowned sadly before she looked at their guardian.

"Hippo, please, you have to go and help Goku before he is overtaken." Lucia pleaded.

"No Miss Lucia. As much as I want to help Mr. Goku, my duty is protect you mermaid princesses. Besides, it would seem he is in complete control of the situation." Hippo said. Lucia and the other mermaids looked down as Goku was actually holding his own against the wyverns. He kicked one wyvern, elbowed the other, smacked the third one with his power pole before sheathing it back, double axe handled the other, and other combos he executed on the swarm.

"Don't worry, Miss Lucia. If things get out of hand, ill charge in to help him. But for now, I have to stay by your side at all costs." Hippo said. The other mermaids didn't object as in a way, he was right. If Gaito were to charge at them by any chance, they would have been sitting ducks, even if they were to dive in the sea all the way to the ocean floor. For now, they can only hope Goku pulls through.

As for Gaito, he growled as he noticed that Goku is beating his army of wyverns with little to no effort, despite the wyverns spitting balls of shadowflame at him for added assault. Soon enough, the numbers decreased to about ten of them. Then Gaito grinned wickedly, not surprised at all by Goku's strength, but now he is prepared to show him the true meaning of might.

Goku managed to dispatch the last ten of the wyverns, sheathing his power pole and sighing slightly.

"Phew! Man, those were some close calls." Goku said to himself, wiping his forehead. But he only had a moment to rest as he noticed a wall of shadowflame heading in his direction. Goku jumped and dashed sideways to dodge the attack, but in a split second, he noticed Gaito charging at him, his fist ready. He barely had the time to dodge the attack as Gaito smashed his fist into the ground, destroying a large section of rock formations near the coast. Gaito then pulled out his fist and noticed that Goku disappeared into the forest that covered most of the island, except a mountain and land around it.

Gaito wasted no time as he hovered in the air with his wings, trying to find his enemy. Meanwhile, Goku was hiding under a tree not far from Gaito's location.

" _What an incredible level of power. And his energy is a lot different than it was before. I can just barely get a read on his energy, but that's enough for me to see that his power level increased exponentially."_ Goku thought seriously. _"Great, how am I supposed to fight an extremely powerful giant dragon?"_

Gaito is slowly beginning to feel Goku's power. He then grinned maliciously as he breathed shadowflame again. Goku yelped in panic as he started to run deep in the woods to dodge the flames. Gaito followed Goku's movements as he cut him off with every consecutive shadowflame breath. The game of cat and mouse proceeded for a while until Goku jumped high in the air and dashed towards the mountain cliff until he reached the ground to stand on.

 **=Play Music = DBZ Remastered Vegeta vs. (Beast) Zarbon – (Nathan M. Johnson) by Coycoy88 0:00 to 4:30=**

Goku clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he found the entire forest engulfed in black smoke and purple flames.

"Where did he go? How can someone so big disappear like that?" Goku said as he looked left and right to find his opponent. Within the smoke, he could hear stomps and see a silhouette of what appears to be Gaito, chuckling evilly in a deep voice.

" **Foolish creature. Any chance you had of defeating me before is now out the window. Now I am far more powerful than I ever was and I will use every ounce of energy to destroy you!"** Gaito then laughed arrogantly. **"You might as well give up, little human."**

"Not a chance! I will never surrender to the likes of you!" Goku exclaimed seriously.

" **You can continue to fight me, but you and I both know this is a one-sided battle."** Gaito said as he appeared from the shadows, slowly stomping his way to Goku. " **Either concede or fall where you stand."** Then he grinned wickedly. **"But between you and me, I'd much rather tear you to shreds, makes all the trouble of hunting you all the more worth it."**

"You talk big, but your overconfidence will be your undoing." Goku frowned seriously before he shouted as he charged towards Gaito merely grinned as he sent a burst of invisible force of energy, sending him flying backwards and crashing onto a stone wall, leaving a small crater before he fell down on the ground, gritting his teeth as he growled in pain.

" **What was that? Sorry, I don't speak pain."** Gaito taunted darkly, snickering arrogantly. Goku growled as he slowly got up, clenching his fists.

"Whoah, what power, I didn't even see that attack coming. Amazing." Goku said to himself.

" **No witty comeback? Then, by all means, allow me to make the first move."** Gaito said as dark aura formed around him. Goku took his fighting position, waiting for Gaito to attack him, the only thing he can do at this point.

Gaito then charged at Goku, slamming his fist and destroying a stone cliff that Goku was standing on. Goku jumped high in the air, but Gaito continued to swing his fists at his enemy, but all Goku could do was dodge his attacks in mid-air. But just as Goku saw and opening and charged to deliver a blow of his own, Gaito smacked Goku with his tail and sent him flying down. Goku propelled himself backwards and landed on his feet, regaining his guard. Gaito continued to attack him while Goku jumped and dashed left and right to evade his attacks.

High in the skies, Hippo and the mermaid princesses observed in worry and awe as Goku was slowly losing ground against the monstrosity that was Gaito.

"It's as I feared, Gaito has Goku on the run. What advantage he had before is now gone." Sara frowned seriously.

"Well, he is resilient, I'll give him that. Any of those attacks he inflicted on Goku would have killed anyone else, even us." Karen frowned.

"If this keeps up, then Goku is done for and we're next on Gaito's list." Coco said. Rina growled angrily by their pessimistic remarks.

"Will all of you be quiet?!" Rina snapped, startling Sara, Karen and Coco. "You are not helping Lucia at all to cope with all of this." Rina said. Sara, Karen and Coco looked at Lucia, who had an extremely worried look on her face for Goku's wellbeing. Karen and Coco frowned sadly that they only made things worse with their comments.

"I'm sorry Lucia, I guess that one slipped right out." Coco apologized.

"There's no need to apologize Coco, you are just as worried as all of us." Lucia smiled gently before she looked back down to the fight. "Besides, I know Goku will win." Then she frowned sadly again. "He has to win." She then clenched her seashell pendant around her neck worryingly. The other mermaids didn't utter a word as they shared Lucia's sentiment, returning their attention to the fight below.

In the ensuing explosion, Goku jumped forward to evade it. Gaito continued with his relentless assault, trying to punch Goku, but Goku jumped high in the sky right above Gaito and when he got behind him, dashed forward in immediate counterattack. This time, Goku dodged Gaito's tail swipe, along with his other punch, dashing between his legs and making a good distance between them. But while Gaito's fist was still burrowed in the ground from the previous assault, he grinned wickedly as he conjured row of razor sharp spikes targeted towards Goku. Goku started backflipping, but due to how fast the spikes were going, he jumped high in the air again. Gaito expected it as he grabbed Goku in his iron grip.

" **And you wouldn't believe me when I told you you couldn't win."** Gaito grinned wickedly. Goku was trying to break free of Gaito's grip, squirming left and right, but it was no use. Then Gaito flew forward and dragged Goku into the ground. Then he threw him forward, making Goku smash through a few stone pillars and tumble all the way to the cliff near the sea, merely inches away from falling down.

The mermaids gasped when they saw Goku thrown like a ragdoll through the stone pillars.

"Hippo, take us to Goku, hurry!" Lucia exclaimed worryingly.

"Right." Hippo nodded, this time agreeing with Lucia's course of action, flying to Goku's location.

Goku gritted his teeth in pain as he was slowly starting to get up, his uniform torn a little from the fight so far.

"That one hurt, my whole body feels numb." Goku chuckled in pain before he stood upright and frowned seriously. Gaito hovered in the air, looking down smugly at Goku.

" **Face it Goku, you're finished. You are outclassed in every way, you are only delaying the inevitable."** Gaito laughed arrogantly.

"Man, he's incredibly fast for someone so big. No matter what I do, he's all over me. If I don't think of something quick, then I'm done for." Goku growled with a serious frown.

"Goku!" A familiar voice called out to him. Goku's eyes went wide as it was Lucia and the other mermaids arriving near Goku on Hippo's back.

"What are you doing?!" Goku shouted out angrily, startling the mermaids, especially Lucia. "Get out of here, now! Hurry!"

"But… Goku, I…" Lucia said in a low voice before she was cut short by Gaito's arrogant laughter.

" **It looks like the cavalry has arrived. Excellent, now I can kill you all at once!"** Gaito said as he charged forward.

"Great, here he comes." Goku turned towards Gaito again. Goku growled as there was no way he could stop Gaito's inevitable onslaught. But then his eyes went slightly wide as an idea popped in his head.

"That's it!" Goku said before he frowned seriously again, turning towards the mermaids. "Everyone, close your eyes, now!" Goku shouted before he jumped high in the air, heading towards Gaito. Hippo and the other mermaids had no idea where he is going with that, but judging how furious he sounded, they complied. As for Gaito, he roared as he charged right towards Goku.

"That's it, just look over here." Goku said before he placed his hands close to his face with his fingers spread towards his eyes.

"SOLAR FLARE!" Goku shouted as immensely bright white light emanated from him in front of Gaito's face. Gaito never expected that kind of maneuver as his eyes hurt unimaginably by the sheer intensity of Goku's technique.

"Whoah, what is that blinding light?!" Hanon exclaimed.

"I can't see a thing!" Noel said, shielding her eyes, along with everyone else in the group. After Goku finished with his technique, he immediately flew to the group.

"Everyone, get a move on! Now!" Goku exclaimed, pushing Hippo to move.

" **My eyes! My eyes!"** Gaito shouted out in pain, placing his hands on his face and growling in pain.

While Gaito continued to struggle to regain his sight, Goku, Hippo and the mermaids rushed to the other side of the island, hiding in a crevice below the island away from Gaito's sight or knowledge. Hippo regressed to his human form, panting heavily, while Goku also breathed hard.

"Goku, what did you do to Gaito? What kind of technique was that?" Rina asked.

"Yeah, it's as if you threw the sun itself right on his face." Hanon smiled. But her smile disappeared when she saw Goku's serious expression.

"What do you guys think you're doing?!" Goku asked angrily. "You could have been killed out there!"

"But Goku, we just tried to help you." Lucia said in a low and timid voice. Seeing her slightly startled expression, Goku sighed and relaxed a bit.

"Look, I'm sorry if I'm being harsh, but you have to understand that all of you are in severe danger. If you stay here, then you will be only helping Gaito." Goku said seriously.

"We already told you before that this is not your fight and yours alone. We are tired of running and hiding from that freak, we will stay here and see this through to the end." Karen frowned slightly.

"Stop it. Neither of you are a match for him, you will only get yourselves killed." Goku said seriously before he looked at the sea. "Gaito's power has increased so much that he is practically in a league of his own. I'm not even sure if even I can beat him at this point." Goku said. The mermaids gasped slightly by his statement.

"Are you serious?" Coco frowned slightly.

"So, there is no way we can win?" Noel said, her hopes plummeting down now that she knows the truth.

"Don't say that Noel, there is always a way to win, right Goku?" Rina frowned slightly, but her eyes went slightly wide when she saw that Goku's mood was relatively the same.

"I hate to say it Rina, but if I were to continue this fight right now, then he would definitely beat me into the ground like he did before, I wouldn't even had a slim chance." Goku frowned seriously. Shock and disbelief surged in the mermaids' hearts. If Goku can't win against that monster, then does that mean that the world is doomed?

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Lucia asked worryingly. Goku then turned towards the mermaids.

"Well, I may not be able to beat him, but the least I can do is buy you some time to get as far away from here as you can." Goku said.

"Are you insane?! If what you say is true, then what you are doing is plain suicide!" Hanon said worryingly.

"Please Goku, don't do it. Come with us, there is still a chance for you to leave as well." Lucia said worryingly with glossy eyes, but Goku merely shook his head.

"I'm sorry Lucia. Even if we were to escape, Gaito would go on a rampage across the planet. I have to stop him before that happens, no matter what it takes. But, I don't want any of you to be involved in this fight anymore, this is an entirely different playing field. I can't fight at my best if I am worried about your safety." Goku then looked at the yellow-haired boy. "Hippo, I want you to transform and take the girls far away from here. And be quick, Gaito is slowly regaining his eyesight and he will not hesitate to attack again."

"Okay." Hippo nodded hesitantly. He was ambiguous on whether he will stay and help Goku fight Gaito or take the mermaid princesses to safety. In the end, he decided for the latter.

As for Goku, he could sense that Gaito is on the move and that the time was short.

"We are staying here Goku, we are not going anywhere." Karen frowned slightly.

"Yes, we will have more of a chance to stop him if we…" Rina said.

"THIS ISNT A DEBATE, NOW GO, GET OUT OF HERE!" Goku suddenly snapped, cutting Rina off mid-sentence and scaring the entire group for a moment, even Lucia. Now that the mermaids knew Goku was dead serious, they complied in the end.

"Let's go Hippo." Hanon said in a defeated voice, knowing that Goku was adamant in his decision. As the mermaids were climbing on Hippo's back, only Lucia was standing near Goku, who had his back on Lucia. Goku noticed that Lucia was a little scared to talk to him.

"Goku, I'm sorry I made you angry, please forgive me." Lucia said in a low and timid voice. Goku smiled gently as he turned to face her.

"No Lucia, I should be the one to apologize. I just want you guys to be safe and prevent unnecessary casualties." Goku said as he put his hands on her shoulders, making her blush slightly. "Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine. Trust me, this isn't the first time I've been stuck in a situation like this." Goku smiled before he frowned seriously. "Now go, before Gaito finds us." He said as he turned his back again on Lucia, facing in the direction where Gaito is.

"Do your best Goku, and be careful." Lucia said worryingly. Goku gave her his signature smile and thumb up to soothe her nerves before he jumped in the air and back into the fight. Lucia frowned sadly as Goku left, soon after she climbed onto Hippo's back as well.

" **Where is he? I can't even sense him. Maybe he ran away."** Gaito said to himself before he looked down at the island **. "Or he could be hiding in that island and won't come out."** He then extended his hand. **"I never thought of him as a coward, what a disappointment. Either way, game over."** He charged his attack, but before he could unleash it and destroy the entire island…

"Wait!" a familiar voice stopped him. It was Goku, who was hovering to Gaito's left side.

" **So, you didn't ran away after all? Then why bother blinding me if you weren't going to escape?"** Gaito grinned wickedly. Goku simply smirked.

"Well, I needed a little break from the action and it was all I needed to finish you for good." Goku said.

" **Really now? Well then, let's continue, shall we?"** Gaito taunted.

"Huh?" Goku's eyes went slightly wide.

Then Gaito let out a loud and howling roar right at Goku, catching him off guard and sending him flying into the sea below with a big splash.

" **And the bluff was exposed."** Gaito said to himself, chuckling a bit. At the same time, Goku composed himself and hovered upright underwater.

" _Man, that guy read me like a book. Then again, that was a terrible bluff._ " Goku chuckled a little in thought, folding his arms and looking down in thought. " _Okay, fighting this guy head on gets me nowhere, so I have to think of a good strategy._ " He thought for a while before an idea popped in his head. _"I know what to do! I never tried this trick against an opponent, but it should work all the same."_

" _Alright, here goes."_ He thought as he extended his hands forward.

" _Kaameee…Haaameee… HAAA!"_ He chanted the technique in his mind, charging two blue energy spheres in place without changing its shape and movement.

" _That's it, now just stay right there."_ Goku thought as he was slowly swimming backwards while keeping his hands fixed on the energy balls.

" **Come out Goku! Don't think you can fool me, I know that attack wasn't enough to kill you, not by a long shot!"** Gaito called out to his nemesis. Goku tilted his head above, hearing what Gaito had to say.

" _It looks like he's getting impatient."_ Goku thought before he looked back at his energy spheres. After he made a good distance, he stopped.

" _Alright then, torpedo one, away!"_ He thought as he swung his arm up, causing one of the energy spheres to shoot upward. Gaito looked to the right as he noticed ripples of waves foaming on the spot.

" **There you are."** Gaito said. But what appeared from the water was a surprise attack from Goku and not Goku himself, shooting towards him, but Gaito dodged the attack. **"Sneaky little bastard."** Gaito growled.

" _Number two, away!"_ Goku thought as he launched the second and final energy sphere.

Then Gaito turned to the right and aimed at the spot where a noise can be heard, but another energy attack was thrown, making him dodge the attack again.

" **Cowardly wretch, come out already!"** Gaito shouted. But then he sensed that someone was behind him. Goku shouted as he delivered a hard double kick right on Gaito's face, immediately flipping backwards a few yards to make some distance. But much to Goku's shock, he only managed to tilt Gaito's head to the right. Gaito snickered arrogantly as he rubbed his cheek.

" **Very impressive Goku. You actually managed to make my face go numb a little."** Gaito taunted, laughing a little.

"No way. I put everything I had into that kick." Goku said in slightly trembling voice, his eyes wide in shock and his body trembling a little.

" **Too bad, cause you are going to pay for that little trick."** Gaito said. Then he prepared to backhand Goku, which prompted the young warrior to raise his hands in front of him in defense. Gaito struck him and sent him flying down on the island like a meteor, crashing onto the mountain cliff and leaving a small crater around him. Gaito laughed slightly as Goku was coming back for more.

Far away from the island, Lucia gasped as she felt a surge of pain in her heart, looking back at the island where Goku is fighting the monster Gaito.

"Goku." Lucia said as she saw dust and smoke appearing from the mountain and Gaito flying above it. It was a clear indication that Goku was in deep trouble.

"He's in trouble. We have to go back to help him." Lucia frowned sadly. Then Rina placed her hand on her shoulders.

"Lucia, I'm sorry, but there is nothing we can do to help Goku. If we go there now, then that's more people for him to worry about." Rina frowned slightly.

"Yes, we have to respect Goku's wish and let him fight alone. We can only hope that he will pull through somehow." Hanon said.

"No." Lucia said, which slightly surprised Hanon and Rina. "I will not stand and watch this anymore. I love him, I can't imagine my life without him." She looked down before she stood up and frowned in determination. "And I will do whatever it takes for him to make it out of there alive!" Lucia shouted before she jumped from Hippo's back into the sea.

"Lucia!" Hanon and Rina shouted. Lucia was falling down and splashed into the sea, reverting herself to her mermaid form so she could swim as fast as she could.

" _Hang in there Goku, I'm coming_." Lucia thought, frowning in determination as she headed back towards the island.

"That girl, if she faces Gaito, he is going to pulverize her." Sara frowned slightly.

"Well, I am not going to allow that to happen." Rina frowned as she jumped down too.

"Miss Rina, not you too!" Hippo said.

"Well, I agree with Rina, there's no way that I will let Lucia to go there by herself." Hanon frowned as jumped down into the water too.

"I'm going too." Karen smiled in determination as she too stood up. Sara, Noel and Coco looked at her in slight surprise.

"So you are going to fight Gaito even though you know its guaranteed suicide?" Coco frowned slightly.

"It wouldn't be nice of me to leave my fellow mermaid princesses to go on a suicide mission by themselves, am I right? Besides, Goku rescued me from The Black Beauty Sisters and the least I can do is fight by his side. At this point, I don't care if he said otherwise." Karen smirked in a mixture of confidence and defiance at Goku's request.

"Well if you are determined to go sister, then I will go with you. We have been separated for too long and I will not let that happen again." Noel smiled at Karen. The purple mermaid princess smiled and nodded.

"Then let's do it sister." Karen smiled confidently.

"Wait!" Coco suddenly said, making Karen and Noel turn their attention to her. "I'll go with you. If we are going down, then we will fall fighting as one." She said. Karen and Noel nodded before the three mermaids jumped in the water as well.

Sara was the only one left on Hippo's back. She frowned seriously as she looked down at the three mermaids, who splashed in the water and headed towards Lucia, Hanon and Rina. Then she looked up at Gaito, wondering if she should join on their suicidal attempt. Then again, looking back at all the things she had done, if she has to die to atone for all the atrocities she committed in the past, then so be it. And she will do so by helping Goku and her fellow mermaid princesses.

"Well Miss Sara, you know what comes next." Hippo said.

"Yes. Let's go Hippo, before they get too far." Sara smiled at Hippo. The mighty beast nodded as he rushed down towards the other mermaid princesses.

As Lucia headed towards the island…

"Lucia, wait up!" A familiar voice called out. Lucia turned around and smiled brightly at who she saw.

"Hanon! Rina! You came!" Lucia said cheerfully.

"What, you thought we would let you go on your own? Not a chance." Hanon smiled.

"We are in this together no matter what." Rina said.

"Thank you Hanon. Thank you Rina." Lucia smiled gratefully.

"Don't forget about us." Another familiar voice said.

"Karen! Noel! Coco!" Lucia said cheerfully. But then, the mermaids were surprised when they were all scooped up by none other than…

"Hippo!" Lucia said cheerfully.

"Don't worry Miss Lucia, we all decided to go back to help Mr. Goku win his fight." He said as he flew to the surface.

"Great, then let's go." Lucia smiled confidently as the group flew back to the island.

At the same time, Goku gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he slowly got back up. Then his face went serious as Gaito roared while charging at Goku.

"I know I'm going to regret this, but this isn't the time to conserve energy." Goku sighed a little as he extended his hands forward.

"Kaaa… Meee…. Haaa…. Meeee…. HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Goku shouted as he unleashed a Super Kamehameha Wave as a last ditch effort to defeat Gaito. But Gaito merely grinned as he extended his hand forward, ready to catch the energy wave. As soon as Goku's attack made contact, Gaito gritted his teeth as he was actually struggling to push back the Kamehameha Wave, not knowing that Goku put a lot more energy into the attack than he thought. Goku screamed as he tried to push his energy wave and to obliterate Gaito, but as he attempted to do so, the attack cancelled itself out and exploded violently in every direction, sending strong winds and temporary blinding light. Hippo and the mermaid princesses temporarily stopped to weather the aftershock of Goku's blast before they pressed on.

Goku was breathing hard as he knelt down on one knee, trying to catch his breath as he put most of his energy into the blast. Then Goku looked up into the smoke, hoping that the battle was over. But he gasped and his eyes went wide in shock as he noticed an all too familiar silhouette of none other than Gaito, who merely laughed off his attack.

"There's… no way. He cancelled it out… like it was nothing." Goku said in between heavy breaths, sweating profusely. Gaito started to descend at Goku's level. The only thing Gaito received from that attack was a minor wound on his palm and nothing more.

" **I think I toyed with you long enough. I gave you too many chances to turn this battle to your favor, that was your last."** Gaito grinned arrogantly.

"Well, I guess that does it, my body feels so weak. I must have used more energy than I thought into that last Kamehameha Wave." Goku smiled weakly.

But Gaito's face went serious as he threw a punch, which Goku dodged, jumping sideways, but then Gaito backhanded him and sent him flying down in the open area, crashing into the ground. This time Goku didn't had time to recover as Gaito landed in front of him, raising his left fist high. Goku only had time to roll once to the right to dodge his attack, but Gaito slammed his right fist on Goku, making him scream and gag loudly in unbelievable pain.

Hippo and the mermaid princesses arrived at the island and were closing in to help Goku. But everyone in the group, especially Lucia, flinched and gasped in shock and worry when they heard Goku scream in pain.

"Goku." Lucia said as she covered her mouth in shock, tears started to form in her eyes, knowing all too well what that means. "GOKUUU!" She screamed desperately as she rushed to get to Goku as soon as possible.

"Lucia wait, you can't go alone!" Hanon said. Lucia didn't listen as she continued to run as fast as she was able, prompting the entire group to go after her.

Gaito continuously smashed Goku with his fists, sending more pain and slowly breaking his bones. Gaito growled as he was a tough nut to crack indeed, extremely resilient for a human. Most, if not all of them would die from his first attack, let alone survive this far. Gaito roared as he slammed his fist hard, making Goku scream in pain at the top of his lungs as Gaito broke all of his bones.

Lucia flinched as she heard Goku screaming louder than before, her body shaking and her mouth agape as tears continued to flow from her eyes, absolutely heartbroken to hear her beloved Goku in so much pain.

" _No… Goku… please hold on Goku, don't you dare die on me."_ Lucia thought sadly as she desperately continued to run as fast as she could. Then she noticed something flying above her. It was Hippo in his hippocampus form, rushing to help Goku.

Gaito grinned wickedly as he raised his fist up, greatly satisfied to see Goku wince and gag, writhing in agony and breathing hard in unbelievable pain from all the broken bones in his body.

" **Aww, what's wrong Goku? You don't look like you are in enough pain."** Gaito said as he grabbed Goku, making the young warrior scream out a little as Gaito lifted him. " **Don't worry, this is only the beginning of the pain and suffering I have in store for you."** Gaito laughed sadistically. But before he could carry out his dastardly torment on Goku, suddenly a beam of energy shot on Gaito's face, making him drop Goku down with a thud.

"Leave Mr. Goku alone!" Hippo shouted as he continued to fire his eye beams. Gaito swung his fists, trying to hit the guardian, but Hippo flew high in the air,

" **You annoying little pest!"** Gaito shouted as he started to chase Hippo in the air.

"Goku!" Lucia cried out as she finally reached Goku. She was absolutely shocked to find Goku battered, bloody and beaten, heartbroken to see him like that. She quickly ran to his side, kneeling down and gently lifting his head.

"Goku! Please wake up! Say something, I beg of you! Please!" Lucia said, desperately shaking Goku, tears staining her cheeks by Goku's broken body. Goku gritted his teeth as he slowly opened his eye to see…

"Hey there Lucia. You… you came back." Goku smiled weakly in low, pained voice with only one eye open.

"Of course I came back Goku. I'm sorry, but I just can't leave your side, not when you are like… this." Lucia sniffed, saddened even more to see him in so much pain, drops of tears falling down on Goku's chest.

"Well I'm glad you did… but at the same time, I wish you didn't. " Goku smiled weakly, struggling to stay conscious. Then his face went serious." Listen… my body is shredded, I can't use it anymore. You have to… get out of here. Please, before Gaito comes back… to finish us both."

"I already told you I can't! I love you Goku, you gave my life meaning I never knew existed, I can't imagine it without you!" Lucia exclaimed in a sorrowful voice. Goku's eye went slightly wide when she said that, he didn't know that she loved him that much that she was willing to die for him. Guess he grew fond of her so much that her words practically warmed his heart.

"I'm… glad you feel that way." Goku smiled weakly before his face went serious again. "But I'm afraid… it won't mean a thing… if Gaito kills you. So please, go Lucia, get out of here… while you still can, please."

"I'm not going anywhere Goku, I can't leave you like this. Look at you, you're hurt." Lucia said in a low voice on the last part, barely mustering the strength to look at wounded Goku, let alone speak. The other mermaids arrived and they all gasped at shock when they saw Goku so beaten and bloody.

"Well… I guess that plan went out the window real quick." Goku started to laugh weakly, but he flinched and gritted his teeth as he felt a surge of pain spreading throughout his body.

"Goku! Please, don't pressure yourself." Lucia said worryingly.

"Well… I hate to say this, but… it looks like… this is it. Honestly, it was great… testing the results of my training and all, but…" Goku smiled weakly again as he looked at Lucia. "Hanging out with you… was probably even better."

"No Goku, don't say that! You can pull through, you always have. I know you can do it again." Lucia said sadly, with tears still flowing from her face.

"Not this time Lucia… this time, he got me good… he was just… too powerful." Goku said as his eyelid was getting heavy, slowly succumbing to the pain and fatigue. "Please, be careful… Lucia." Then Goku finally passed out, but with internal bleeding and his bones shattered, his life force was slowly slipping away and Lucia knew this, considering his skin was slowly getting pale.

"No, no! Goku, please don't go!" Lucia said as she buried her face on Goku's chest and cried, sniffing and hiccupping loudly, completely losing her resolve to fight the monster that was Gaito without her Goku.

The other mermaids felt bad for Lucia, but before they could pay their respects to the brave warrior, Gaito grabbed Hippo by the throat in the air.

"Hippo!" Hanon and Rina exclaimed.

" **Pathetic little nuisance, did you really think you would succeed where Goku could not?"** Gaito said arrogantly before he tossed Hippo down, smashing him into the ground and forcing him to revert back to his penguin form, his little body tumbling a few yards. Hanon and Rina immediately rushed to his side, with Karen, Noel, Coco and Sara following suit.

"Hippo, are you okay?" Rina said, gently holding Hippo's head.

"I'm sorry mermaid princesses. I have failed you." Hippo said in a defeated voice.

"Don't say that Hippo, you did your best." Hanon frowned slightly. The other mermaids were on immediate alert as Gaito descended with a stomp at the shore facing the mermaids.

" **I grow tired of toying with you weaklings, it is time we put an end to this joke of a battle once and for all."** Gaito said seriously.

"Rina, what are we going to do? Without Goku, we don't stand a chance." Hanon said desperately.

"I honestly don't know, I can't believe this is the end." Rina frowned as she gritted her teeth.

The situation couldn't be more desperate than this. With Goku down for the count and with Lucia's resolve shattered, the six mermaid princesses have no chance to defeat the unbelievably powerful monster that was Gaito. It would seem that there was no hope for victory.

But while Lucia continued to hopelessly cry on Goku's chest…

" _Sing, mermaid princess Lucia."_ A familiar voice suddenly echoed in Lucia's mind.

"Wha.. who is it?" Lucia said, looking up and to her surprise, an echo of Aqua Regina appeared hovering above them, with only Lucia able to see her.

" _Now is not the time to give in to despair, it is not over yet. Remember, our music is love and love is strength. If you truly love this valiant warrior, then you must show that to him. Sing."_ Aqua Regina said before she disappeared. Lucia looked down at the unconscious Goku. After a few seconds, Lucia wiped the tears from her face and frowned in determination. The deity was right, the fight was far from over and she will show Goku just how much she loves him. And she will do that by facing Gaito head on with the other mermaid princesses by her side. She gently leaned Goku's head down on the ground before she stood up and frowned seriously at the monster Gaito.

" **I hope you made the most of what's left of your lives, mermaid princesses. Because now you are doing to die."** Gaito said as he extended his hand forward, charging up his dark energy attack to finish them off.

"Not so fast, Gaito!" Lucia suddenly shouted out. The six mermaid princesses looked back in surprise.

"Lucia?" Hanon said in surprise.

"Lucia, what are you doing? It's too dangerous." Rina frowned slightly, but her eyes went slightly wide as Lucia ignored her warning, not averting her gaze from the monster. She was greatly surprised that Lucia suddenly gained a drastic boost in resolve, the likes she had never seen before. Even Hanon was equally surprised as Rina to see their beloved friend fearlessly walk up to Gaito.

"What happened to her? She seems completely determined to see this through to the end." Karen frowned slightly.

"Yeah, she is not afraid in the least." Noel said. Little did she and the other mermaid princesses knew that Lucia was scared to the core, but it was heavily suppressed by her willpower and determination to make her beloved Goku proud and prove her love to him.

" **Well, you finally stopped mewling like a sniveling baby and decided to fight me?"** Gaito taunted, laughing a bit.

"You monster! You will pay for what you have done to my Goku, because now you've made me mad!" Lucia frowned angrily, clenching her fists, but Lucia's words only made Gaito laugh more.

" **Oh really, what are you going to do about it, little mermaid? Your threats are hollow, as is your devotion towards that human. Face it, without Goku to hold your hand, you are nothing."** Gaito said. His words now fueled Lucia with rage as she gritted her teeth angrily. How dare he question Lucia's devotion towards Goku?

"You are wrong! I love Goku with all my heart and you will see firsthand the power of true love!" Lucia shouted angrily before she turned her attention to the mermaids behind her. "Girls, are you ready?" Lucia asked. The mermaids, except Sara immediately nodded in determination. Lucia noticed this and looked at the orange mermaid princess.

"Sara, I know you had feelings for Gaito, but right now we need to fight as one. So please, help us defeat him while we have the chance." Lucia frowned slightly. Sara looked at Lucia and saw unwavering determination and iron will in her eyes. Seeing no other way, Sara nodded as she joined forces with her fellow mermaid princesses.

" **How touching, a commander rallying his troops to the slaughter."** Gaito grinned wickedly. Lucia gave Gaito a look as white auras formed around them, signifying their readiness to sing. Lucia glanced at Goku one more time before she turned towards Gaito.

"Live for you, mermaid voice!" All seven mermaid princesses said in unison, singing song "The power of the mermaids"

"All new challenges are waiting for me,  
The sea makes me all determined.  
I now close my eyes, for i know the pain  
of the incoming fall."

"I stand boldly, watching what awaits me  
now is not the time to hide.  
I raise my head high, i will give you all  
for that i promised."

"When something in the darkness is  
happening, happening, happening"

"Thats only just the two of us  
you and me, you and me, you and me"

"Don't go now.  
Don't go now!"

" **Pathetic, they are just making this too easy for me."** Gaito said to himself as he extended his hand again while they continued to sing, ready to make a dramatic disintegration.

"The days are all gracious  
for i want to share them with you.  
For one thing is certain  
That i will always want you."

Dark energy started to form around Gaito's arm, only seconds away from firing at the mermaids.

"The morning is peaceful  
when i believe i have you.  
When everything is possible  
i recognize you, it's easy."

"For only wish is the strength of true love."

But before Gaito could fire his attack and put an end to their lives…

"Loving power…" Lucia suddenly turned towards Goku, much to Gaito's surprise. "… of the mermaids!" Lucia pointed at Goku, channeling her melody to Goku and not Gaito, sending a heart-shaped projectile at the incapacitated warrior.

" **What?!"** Gaito exclaimed in surprise.

Hanon, Rina and Coco followed suit, along with Karen, Noel and Sara. With the combined power of the mermaid princesses, the projectile made contact with Goku's body and glowed with immense, blinding light that stunned Gaito a little. After several seconds passed, the blinding light formed into a sphere that engulfed Goku completely. His bones started to heal first, then all of his cuts, bruises and gashes across his entire body, blood retracting back to his body, his torn uniform restored to its former glory. Soon enough, the sphere cracked like glass and shattered violently, with Goku finally regaining consciousness and hovering down to the ground.

The mermaid princesses smiled brightly as Lucia's plan worked. They weren't aware of her strategy at first, but they immediately picked up on her plan the moment she channeled her melody to Goku and not Gaito.

Gaito however growled furiously as he was tricked good, believing that they fruitlessly tried to defeat him, yet instead they were helping that human.

" **Why you… you will pay for that trickery, WITH YOUR LIFE!** " Gaito roared as he unleashed a dark energy blast at the seven mermaid princesses. The attack made contact as it exploded violently, sending strong winds in all directions.

Gaito grinned victoriously as he believed he finally eliminated those annoying mermaids. But his eyes went wide as the mermaids disappeared.

"Maybe you should pick on someone your own size." A familiar male voice suddenly said.

" **What?! Where did that voice come from?!"** Gaito exclaimed. He looked forward to find Hippo and the six mermaids lying down unconscious, but what shocked him the most is from the smoke above the mermaids in the air, it formed to be none other than Goku, who smirked as he held unconscious Lucia in his arms bridal style.

" **CURSE YOUUU!"** Gaito roared furiously, gritting his teeth angrily. But Goku smirked as he slowly descended down near the mermaid princesses. Lucia slowly regained consciousness and she looked up at a familiar face.

"Goku?" Lucia said in low voice as her vision became less and less blurry.

"Hi." Goku said cheerfully. Lucia smiled brightly and she cried yet again, this time in pure happiness.

"GOKU! You are okay!" Lucia hugged him tightly, rubbing her face on Goku's chest.

"Whohoa, easy there. We are not out of trouble yet." Goku smiled. Lucia then looked up and frowned sadly. She wiped the tears again and smiled gently.

"You are right. Once the fight is over, we will have plenty of time for this, right?" Lucia smiled.

"You bet." Goku laughed a little before he put Lucia down. Then he frowned seriously as he looked at Gaito. Meanwhile, the other mermaid princesses smiled brightly when they saw Goku alive and well.

"Goku! It actually worked." Hanon said cheerfully.

"Thank goodness, he's okay." Rina smiled.

"It's all thanks to you guys." Goku smirked as he turned sideways towards the mermaids. "You actually gave us a fighting chance. It took a lot of courage to do what you did, I'm proud of all of you."

"Actually it was Lucia who faced Gaito head on and united us." Rina smiled.

"Yeah, she was totally fearless, she was about to fight him alone for you." Hanon smiled. Goku's eyes went slightly wide and looked a Lucia, who looked down shyly with a blush, twirling a strand of hair.

"Umm, it was nothing really." Lucia said timidly.

"You are wrong." Goku said, making Lucia look at him with blank expression. "It was everything, more than you know. Thank you Lucia, you are truly the best." Goku smiled. Lucia blushed heavily, twirling her hair again shyly, making Hanon and Rina giggle, teasing her a bit.

"So does that mean that we can finally fight by your side?" Karen smiled.

"No." Goku said, which slightly surprised the mermaids. "I'm sorry girls, but like I said before, you are all in severe danger. Gaito is simply too powerful an opponent for you guys to handle."

"So what, you are going to send us away again, even after we helped you?!" Noel frowned angrily. But her face went blank when she saw Goku smiling.

"No, not this time." He shook his head and smiled. "All of you are a reason I'm still standing, I can't thank you enough for that." Then his face went serious. "But, I am going to ask you guys to take cover, so I can fight him at my best." Goku said. This time the mermaids did not complain as they all nodded in agreement, excluding Lucia.

"Be careful this time Goku. If you win, then I'll make a lot of delicious meals for you." Lucia cheered Goku on, but still having a blush on her face.

"Awesome! Guess that means I _have_ to win." Goku smiled brightly, giving her a thumbs up. Lucia nodded before she left with the other mermaids. Then Goku's face went serious again as he started to walk towards Gaito.

" _ **Those cursed mermaid princesses. They never planned to attack me, they tricked me so they could heal that wretched human."**_ Gaito thought angrily.

" **I should have finished you off when I had the chance, this time ill tear your body apart to make sure I do."** Gaito growled furiously.

"I'm not gonna lie, your transformation surprised me Gaito. Your power level increased tremendously and your size only slightly affected your speed." Goku smirked before he frowned seriously, starting to remove his wristbands. "But, now it's time we end this fight, no more killing." Goku removed his wristbands and threw them sideways.

He then proceeded to take off his black shirt. He was having slight difficulty removing it, but he did it nonetheless, sighing slightly. Gaito raised his eyebrow curiously, he was actually having difficulty removing a shirt? But when Goku tossed it sideways with a thud, he had a feeling that wasn't an ordinary shirt. Then Goku removed his boots and threw them sideways as well. Now that he completely removed the weighted gear, he was now ready to take Gaito on. In truth, he could have removed the gear earlier, but Gaito wouldn't give him a second of reprieve to think of that little detail as he was relentlessly attacking him up until this point. Now Goku put on his orange shirt, completing the Turtle hermit outfit of his teacher Master Roshi.

"Yeah, much better!" Goku smirked as he tied his black belt. "Alright Gaito, let's do this!" He said confidently as he took his fighting stance.

 **=Play Music: DBZ Remastered Music episode recap Theme=**

In an amazing twist, the mermaid princesses restored Goku back to his full strength and the spiky-haired warrior is now ready to get back into the fight, fully confident in his abilities. But what is the secret to his newfound confidence? Does he indeed have the strength to defeat Gaito and save his friends? Or is he merely bluffing to catch Gaito off guard? The clash of two great powers continues as the final round for the fate of the world is about to begin.


	22. Chapter 22

~Unexpected Surprise~

With the aid of the mermaid princesses, Goku was now ready to get back into the fight. He was thankful to Gaito inwardly for giving Goku a fight of his life, but now he decided to pull out all the stops and end this fight once and for all, for the sake of Lucia and all of his friends. This time Gaito decided to rip Goku apart as his power was slowly rising, with the clouds taking darker shade of grey than before, thunder and lightning shooting in the distance and with moderate winds blowing in a single direction.

As for the mermaid princesses, they decided to stay on the sidelines this time and let Goku handle Gaito from here.

"Mermaid princesses, I suggest you stay close to me. I feel that this is going to be an intense round." Hippo said before he transformed into his hippocampus form.

"Yes, I agree. It's probably for the best at this point." Rina frowned slightly.

"Goku looks extremely confident. Do you think he has a plan to beat him this time?" Hanon frowned slightly as well.

"I'm not really sure. Unless he somehow got super strong, his chances of beating him are slim in the least." Rina said.

"Don't say that. Goku will beat him this time, just you wait." Lucia frowned slightly at Hanon and Rina.

"He will? How do you know?" Karen asked.

"I can't explain it, but..." Lucia frowned slightly at Karen before she looked down on the battlefield. "I have a feeling that this time Goku will win." Lucia said. Hippo and the other mermaids also looked down at Goku, who was ready to continue his fight.

" **What? Just because you are now fully healed, you believe you can beat me this time around? Think again, stupid human!"** Gaito grinned wickedly as he slammed his fist into the ground where Goku was, leaving a big hole. But after the smoke cleared, his eyes went wide as Goku disappeared. The mermaids were also surprised that Goku vanished out of existence in an instant.

"Too slow." Goku said from Gaito's right side, snickering childishly as he folded his arms and legs in sitting position. Gaito swung again, but Goku disappeared in a blur and appeared from his left side.

"Over here." Goku said, prompting Gaito to swing his fist again, but to no avail. Gaito growled angrily as he continued to swing his fists, destroying the surrounding rock formations Goku was on. After a while, Gaito stopped as Goku flipped backwards and landed gracefully on his feet, smirking confidently as he folded his hands.

" **Hold still, you coward!"** Gaito growled as he slammed his fist into the ground again, but this time Goku disappeared in a blur and quickly dashed on Gaito's left knee, then to his right shoulder before he sent a hard kick on Gaito's face, catching him off guard and making him fall down on the ground. Goku then flipped backwards and landed gracefully on his feet, taking his fighting position.

"Wow! Did Goku do that?!" Karen exclaimed in shock.

"He actually dealt a blow on Gaito." Rina said, just as flabbergasted as other mermaids.

"Amazing." Hanon said. Even Lucia was equally surprised, if not more, that Goku somehow got stronger than he was before they healed him.

Gaito growled as he slowly got up, briefly rubbing his cheek.

" **Lucky shot."** Gaito said angrily.

"Are you sure? Cause you were kinda wide open back there." Goku smirked confidently, which irritated Gaito even more.

" **Be quiet!"** Gaito shouted as he swung his tail, prompting Goku to jump high in the air. Gaito continued to swing his fists, but Goku nimbly dodged his attacks, dashing and flipping in every direction, seemingly not wasting any energy in the effort. Then Goku disappeared in a blur just when Gaito's fist was about to make contact. Soon enough, Goku was dashing around Gaito like a blur.

" _ **What is happening? He's so fast I can't even keep up with him."**_ Gaito thought. Then Goku commenced his assault as he struck Gaito behind his knee, making him kneel down before he disappeared again. When Goku appeared again, Gaito attacked him again, but Goku kept disappearing and reappearing, attacking Gaito from every direction while the monster was fruitlessly trying to retaliate.

From the sidelines, the mermaid princesses were left in complete awe by Goku's monstrous speed.

"He's… so fast. It's almost as if he is moving at the speed of light." Said awestruck Coco. The other mermaids were speechless as they tried to grasp Goku's seemingly increased level of speed.

Gaito's rage was boiling as he continued to receive every blow Goku delivered even with many attempts to strike back. He roared as he unleashed a burst of energy in form of a dome and caught Goku off guard, sending him flying back, but he quickly regained his composure and flipped backwards multiple times before he landed gracefully, taking his fighting position again.

Gaito swung his fist in blind rage at Goku, but Goku immediately jumped across him and landed behind the monster, but Gaito swung his tail, which Goku dodged by ducking, and then slammed his fist into the ground again, which prompted for Goku to dash at his arm and then kick him in the face again, jumping down afterwards. Gaito rubbed his cheek before he attacked again, swinging his arm, but Goku backflipped once a good distance before he jumped high in the air, with Gaito in quick pursuit as he flapped his wings hard and flew in the air, so high that both of the fighters ascended above the dark clouds.

Soon enough, only blue and purple lights occasionally radiated through the clouds as explosions can be heard from the skies above.

"There they go. Man, what a battle." Hanon said in amazement. Hippo and the other mermaids were equally speechless at the titanic conflict between two fighters, but Lucia frowned sadly as she clutched her seashell pendant in great worry.

" _Oh Goku, please be careful."_ Lucia thought worryingly.

Above the clouds, Goku continued to dodge Gaito's attacks, flying backwards to gain some distance, but Gaito breathed a wall of shadowflame at his opponent. Goku flew upwards and towards Gaito, spinning sideways and delivering a right roundhouse kick right between Gaito's eyes. While Gaito was caught in the moment of pain, Goku slid down his spine and towards his tail, grabbing onto its end.

" **What the…"** Gaito said, but Goku screamed as he started to pull a giant monster by his tail and slowly, but surely he threw him down, sending him flying through the clouds and crashing into the sea with an enormous splash. The mermaids gasped loudly in utter shock and surprise, unable to process the fact that it was Goku who threw down a fifty feet tall monster with a moderate effort.

"Wha… what is this guy?! He just threw down a giant dragon like a ragdoll!" Karen exclaimed in shock.

"Well… Lucia, do you know what he is?" Asked Noel, who was trembling in shock, but Lucia was as equally speechless as Noel.

"Whatever he is, he knows nothing about laws of physics. What he did was impossible in every conceivable way." Sara frowned slightly.

"NIMBUS!" Goku called out for his cloud as he was falling down. The yellow cloud caught him in mid-air and then he flew down towards the sea. Even though for reasons he can't explain himself, he somehow got a lot stronger, almost as if he was training for a month nonstop. Still, conserving his energy was another thing he learned from Mr. Popo and in a fight like this, every bit of energy is a charm.

Then Gaito roared furiously as a giant splash surrounded him before it quickly fell back into the sea. He growled angrily as he glared daggers at Goku, who had the same battle-ready smirk as usual when he fights. But Goku merely snickered cheerfully with a toothy grin.

"How's the water? I would love to take a bath, but I'm in a middle of a fight, so I guess I can't." Goku said cheerfully as he rubbed the back of his head.

" **What are you, a monster?"** Gaito growled angrily. Then Goku's cheerful demeanor was replaced with a serious frown again.

"The only monster here is you." Goku said seriously as he took his fighting position again. "Now let's continue this fight, I'm ready."

Gaito was so angry that he even got a vein on his forehead. He then flew higher in the air and extended his fingers, firing volley after volley of finger beams that were raining down on Goku. Goku used his cloud to avoid most of the attacks as he flew sideways towards the island, occasionally deflecting some of the blasts. However, some of the blasts headed in the direction of the mermaid princesses, but Hippo used his eye beams to explode the bolts of energy before they made contact with them. The rest of the bolts exploded harmlessly around the island.

Then Goku charged towards Gaito, but dashing left and right and deflecting some of the attacks. After Goku got close, Gaito cancelled his attack and cupped his hands, about to deliver a horizontal double axe handle, but Goku nimbly flew overhead, prompting for Gaito to do a backhand attack with his left hand. Goku flew back to evade the attack, but Gaito fired a large, potent energy blast at Goku, which the young warrior retaliated with a quick Kamehameha Wave, which collided with Gaito's and exploding violently. Gaito fired another attack, but Goku jumped from the nimbus cloud and chopped the blast in half, making the two halved explode. Gaito charged from the smoke and was about to grab Goku. However, he dodged behind him, but Gaito used the opportunity to smack him hard with his tail, sending him flying down like a meteor.

The mermaids gasped from the crushing blow Goku received, especially Lucia.

"Goku!" Lucia shouted worryingly. But Goku quickly flipped backwards a few times before he landed on the ground, wiping his lip and smirking confidently. Gaito also landed on the ground not far from him, with a furious expression still on his face. The mermaid princesses watched anxiously at what Goku's next move would be, hopefully a finishing tactic that will end this fight.

" **You've become quite an escape artist, the path of a true coward. Why don't you quit running and fight me like a man?** " Gaito said angrily.

"Huh. Give it your best shot, I won't even move." Goku said with a battle ready smirk. Gaito grinned wickedly as his opportunity arrived again, this time he will make it count.

"Goku, what are you doing?!" Hanon shouted worryingly.

"Is he insane?! Gaito is going to pulverize him!" Rina said worryingly as well.

"Goku! Move out of the way, please!" Lucia shouted worryingly, but Goku did not listen as he proceeded with his initial intention.

" **If you insist. It's your funeral, FOOL!"** Gaito shouted as he threw a punch again, aimed straight towards Goku.

But this time Goku extended his hands and, much to Gaito's utter shock, Goku stopped his attack. Even the mermaid princesses were totally shocked and surprised to find that Goku actually caught his fist.

"You call that a punch? You will have to do better than that." Goku said as he pushed Gaito's clenched fist sideways. Gaito was slowly succumbing to his insanity as his rage was boiling in his veins, his senses slowly slipping away with every futile attempt to finish off the spiky-haired nuisance.

"Don't quit now. We just started." Goku said confidently. Gaito roared again as he slammed his fist into the ground. This time Goku disappeared, but he quickly made his distance and decided to end the fight with his signature technique.

"Kaaa… Meee…. Haaa…. Meeee…." Goku chanted the words as his hands shined with bluish-white rays. Gaito looked left and right and found Goku on the stone hill a good distance away from the mermaids, but right on the spot for the mermaids to see the action.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" Goku fired the attack. Gaito was caught by surprise as in a matter of seconds, he caught the attack, but was pushed back significantly in the air. Gaito gritted his teeth as he managed to halt the attack, but not cancel it out, at least not yet. After a good struggle, the Kamehameha Wave exploded violently, sending strong winds in all directions and emitting a moderately blinding light. After the winds died down, the mermaids looked at Goku, who was panting slightly.

"Woohoo, he did it!" Coco cheered.

"Alright Goku!" Lucia cheered as well, along with Hanon, Rina, Karen and Noel. Sara was the only mermaid princess who didn't had the cause to celebrate Gaito's defeat for reasons well known. As for Goku, he didn't want to celebrate just yet.

"Is it over?" Goku said to himself. But after the smoke cleared, the cheers stopped after they saw Gaito alive and well, much to their shock.

"Nope, I guess not. Darn, that was supposed to be a finishing move." Goku chuckled slightly, not surprised by Gaito's endurance. Little did he know that he pushed Gaito to the very edge, slowly beginning to lose his mind by this seemingly one-sided battle.

" **This… can't be real. Why you… you…"** Gaito growled as he clenched his fists so hard that they started to bleed. **"I'LL DESTROY YOU!"** He shouted furiously.

Gaito let out a loud and howling roar, sending a shockwave in every direction, with strong winds quickly picking up. Thunder and lightning continuously struck from the skies, the waves of the sea moved in circular motion, forming a massive maelstrom, dragging the wrecked ships from the deeps into the surface, caught in the loop of the maelstrom.

"Oh boy, maybe I pushed too far. Now things are really getting out of hand." Goku frowned seriously.

But the weather was not the only thing that changed with Gaito's raging fury. He started to grunt and gag as his wings started to deform, flesh and bone warping other way around, leather between wing bones rotting away and fixating themselves afterwards into razor sharp limbs, his legs formed into serpent-like tail connected to the sea.

"What happened to Gaito?" Lucia asked worryingly.

"He changed again. I'm afraid that at this point his mind has been reduced to that of a common beast, his sole focus now is to kill Goku." Sara frowned seriously.

"Even so, Goku should still have the upper hand, right?" Karen asked the orange mermaid.

"I… honestly can't tell. This battle could go either way." Sara said seriously. With that answer, the mermaids looked back at Goku.

Goku gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he decided to charge at his opponent. He dashed towards him at fast speed, but the monster submerged into the maelstrom, causing Goku to stop in mid-air.

"What? Where did he go?" Goku asked himself. He looked left and right into the swirling water mass, with no success in locating the abomination.

"Girls, let's go and help him!" Lucia said with mixture of determination, but also worry for Goku.

"No! Stay where you are!" Hippo suddenly stopped her, placing his tail in front of her.

"Hippo, what are you doing? We have to go out there right now and help Goku!" Hanon said.

"I'm sorry mermaid princesses, but this time we have to make some distance." Hippo said before he turned around. "Climb onto my back, I will fly us up above, so we can have a better vantage point." He said.

"Right." Rina nodded in agreement as she climbed Hippo's back, followed by other mermaids. Lucia was the only one who looked at Goku worryingly for a while before she too climbed onto Hippo's back. Then the guardian flapped his mighty wings as he ascended higher and higher in the air, out of harm's way.

Goku then decided to land on one of the ruined ships that were swirling in circular motion, caught in the endless loop of the maelstrom. But suddenly, from the ship's hull, several humanoid creatures attacked Goku, but Goku managed to easily dodge their attacks and with one punch or kick, knocking them out of the ship. But as he was repelling the incoming soldiers of darkness, suddenly one of the huge, corrupted water tentacles slammed onto the ship, breaking it in half. Goku dashed to the front half of the ship to dodge the attack. The second tentacle emerged from the sea, about to destroy the other half of the ship, but Goku jumped high in the air, only to be met by four more tentacles flailing wildly and trying to hit the spiky-haired warrior. Goku dodged one attack after another, until he unsheathed his power pole.

"Power pole extend!" Goku shouted as his faithful weapon extended in length and smacked one tentacle, making it burst everywhere in splash of water. Goku continued to fly and dodge the tentacles, but then he stopped and smacked two more tentacles. However, one large tentacle caught him by surprise as it smacked him into the sea, submerging him into the darkness of the sea. Within the veil of darkness, red eyes glowed from within. Goku's eyes went wide as the monster Gaito swam past him, not averting his gaze from his enemy. Goku sheathed his power pole and waited for him to strike. Three spiky limbs went for a piercing attack, but Goku nimbly dodged overhead. Three more limbs to his right attacked again, but Goku dashed immediately to his right. Then Gaito revealed himself and charged at Goku, trying to devour him, but Goku dodged above Gaito's head. However, Gaito turned around and backhanded Goku, sending him flying like a torpedo.

Goku crashed and rolled backwards, landing on his feet as he found himself in a natural arena-like platform, surrounded by swirling tides and wrecked ships.

"Darn it, where is he now?" He thought out loud. But his eyes went wide in surprise as the ground started to shake. A massive clawed hand gripped the edge of the arena, followed by the other one. Then a loud growling can be heard as the head of the monster was rising, its bloodshot eyes furiously fixed on Goku. Gaito let out a beastly roar as he swung six of his spiky limbs spawned from his back down at Goku, but the young warrior flipped backwards to dodge the attack. But Gaito continued his assault as he swung and smashed his fists in an attempt to crush Goku, followed by one spiky limb after another. Goku barely managed to dodge all of the attacks, flipping backwards in mid-air before he landed, clenching his fists sideways.

"This has gone on far enough. It's time to end this fight. Now!" Goku said in determination before he charged forward at intense speed. Gaito threw a punch, followed by spiked limb attacks, but Goku dodged them in a blur and kicked Gaito between the eyes, making him writhe in pain a little. But Gaito quickly recovered, only to find Goku hovering in front of him with extended hands in front of his face.

"SOLAR FLARE!" Goku shouted as immensely bright light illuminated from Goku. But this time, Gaito was prepared as he shielded his eyes just in time to prevent himself from being temporarily blind and give Goku precious time to recover.

" **Where did he go?"** Gaito asked himself. But behind him, with his immense speed, Goku first kicked the back side of the ship, so it will face Gaito. Then he kicked the ship from behind. But before Gaito could react, the front of the ship impaled straight through his right shoulder, making him roar in pain. Then Goku dashed back to the arena and landed in front of Gaito.

"Kaaa… Meee… Haaa… Meee…" Goku chanted as he went for the finish, his hands glowing with bluish white rays. As for Gaito, he destroyed most of the ship with his spiky limbs, but not the log that impaled his shoulder, not knowing of Goku's next move.

"HAAAAAAA!" Goku unleashed his devastating technique. Gaito's eyes went wide in surprise and he screamed in agony as the attack enveloped him. The Kamehameha Wave set off as an explosive dome as big as the maelstrom engulfed its surroundings.

The mermaid princesses shielded their eyes, trying to resist the aftershock of Goku's attack.

"Was that Goku's attack?!" Karen asked through the noise coming from the blast and the wind that followed it.

"It's definitely not Gaito's!" Rina exclaimed. After the light died down, the tides settled down and the sea became still again. Goku had the time to jump high in the air and land on the island that was devastated from his battle with the monster. Goku inhaled and exhaled slightly, relaxing his muscles, believing that the fight was over. Or so it appeared.

"So, did he do it? Is it over?" Noel asked curiously.

"I… I don't know. Is it?" Coco said. Hippo and the other mermaids watched at the sea where the maelstrom was raging, the sea slowly returning to normal after the blast.

"No sign of him. That means… He did it!" Hanon said cheerfully.

"Woohoo, alright Goku!" Lucia cheered as well, along with the entire group. Goku looked up at the mermaids as they cheered him on, having a signature smile on his face.

Not too long after, Hippo descended near Goku with the mermaid princesses.

"Well done Goku." Rina smiled.

"Man, you were incredible out there." Karen smiled too.

"I'm so proud of you Goku." Lucia said as she looked at Goku lovingly.

"Well, I certainly couldn't have done it without you guys." Goku smiled at the group.

"Quit being so modest, Goku." Hanon said as she playfully slapped his arm.

"Like I haven't been hit enough." Goku joked, rubbing his arm, while Hippo and the mermaids laughed at Goku's expense. Except for Sara, who looked sadly at the open sea where Gaito was.

"So, do you think the fight is finally over?" Noel smiled.

"Probably. After that kind of attack, I doubt that he will…" Then Goku stopped mid-sentence as he felt a sense of danger from behind him. He immediately turned around towards the open sea.

"What is it Goku?" Lucia asked.

But he didn't utter a word as he continued to look onto the horizon. Thunder and lightning struck again as faint purple glow emanated from the sea. But then the entire group gasped loudly as something was stirring within the deeps. In a massive splash of water, Gaito flew in the air like a missile, letting out a furious, beastly roar.

"Great, he is not much on downtime, is he?" Goku growled angrily.

 **=Play Music: DBZ Remastered Music – Energy Beam Struggle by Coycoy88=**

Gaito then formed a violent lightning-like aura, surrounding his furious frame, his form returned to its previous glory before it deformed in his duel in the maelstrom against Goku.

" **YOU WILL ALL DIIIEEE!"** Gaito roared in fury as he extended his hands in front of him, putting all of his might into a single energy blast that he started to charge up.

"What is he doing?! Has he gone mad?!" Karen said in terror.

"Apparently he is! He is about to destroy everything!" Rina frowned seriously with tremendous worry. The mermaid princesses were in similar state like Karen and Rina as they looked up at the mad monstrosity in utter horror, completely helpless to do anything to prevent the incoming cataclysm as Gaito's lightning-like aura continued to flare around him violently, lightning occasionally jolting from his hands.

"Not good. From that angle and the amount of power he is building, he could destroy the entire planet." Goku growled to himself before he looked at the group behind him. "Hippo, take the girls away from here! Now!" He exclaimed. Hippo immediately nodded as he turned around for the mermaid princesses to climb on his back.

"But Goku, what about you?!" Lucia shouted worryingly.

"Don't worry about me, just go! Hurry!" Goku exclaimed. But before Lucia could say or do anything, Hippo wrapped his tail around Lucia's waist and he didn't wait a second as he flew high in the air.

"I'm sorry Miss Lucia, but we're going!" Hippo said as he didn't wait a second, flying high in the air to avoid Gaito's monstrous attack. Though Lucia initially objected, she relented in the end. She knew if all of them were to stay with Goku, they would all most certainly die.

Then Goku turned towards Gaito, who still charged up his attack.

"Alright then Gaito…" Goku said as he extended his hands aimed towards Gaito. "Let's see how you like the Super Kamehameha, full power!" He exclaimed confidently as he placed his hands to his right side.

"Kaaaaaa…. Meeeee…."

As Goku charged up his technique, the land around them continued to change. Tornadoes started to form in the distance, thunder and lightning striking in every direction, strong wings picking up soon after. Then from Gaito's raging form, whitish-purple energy radiation spread from his body, with small bits of the island shattering and waves churning in every direction.

"Haaaaaa…. Meeeee…." Goku chanted as intense whitish-blue rays emanated from his hands.

" **DIIIEEEE!"** Gaito shouted as he unleashed a large energy blast in a last ditch effort to annihilate Goku.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" Goku unleashed a Super Kamehameha Wave, his blast the same size as Gaito's. Two energy attacks closed in on each other and as they made contact, a powerful shockwave blasted in all directions. Hippo and the mermaid princesses were caught in the aftershock and strong winds that followed, holding onto Hippo's back and shielding their eyes from the intense light emanating from two colliding beams of energy.

"Hold on, you guys!" Hanon said loudly through the strong winds.

"Man, what a battle!" Coco exclaimed.

" **What? His beam is as strong as my own attack."** Gaito growled as he actually found himself in a stalemate, with neither of their blasts moving an inch. Goku gritted his teeth as he also struggled to gain the upper hand, but Gaito's blast wouldn't even budge. Every time Gaito pushed more energy into his blast, Goku channeled the same amount, against putting the beam struggle into a stalemate.

Goku knew he was running out of energy, he can't fend Gaito's attack off forever. He glanced to the right in the sky, where Lucia was sitting on Hippo's back, trying to endure the effects of the battle before he looked back at Gaito. Goku growled and grunted before he shouted, having a vein on his forehead as he channeled all of his energy into the attack. Due to inexplicable increase in power after being fully recuperated, Goku had the power he needed to push Gaito's attack.

" **Impossible!"** Gaito said as the Kamehameha Wave was slowly pushing Gaito's blast back at him, slowly getting closer to him.

 **=Play Music: Piccolos Sacrifice - [Nathan M. Johnson] by Coycoy88 from 0:00 to 3:50=**

" **Don't think you have won! I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!"** Gaito said as he fired an energy blast from his mouth. Goku gasped loudly as he saw an attack that he found impossible to dodge due to him still channeling the Kamehameha Wave. Goku's blast consumed Gaito and it exploded violently, but Goku screamed in panic as Gaito's attack also enveloped him, exploding and covering the entire island in a destructive dome.

"GOKUUUU!" Lucia shouted at the top of her lungs in shock and worry, frowning sadly. But the mermaid princesses screamed as the winds were so strong they were about to be blown away, but Hippo barely managed to stay in mid-air without being blown away himself. The blinding light emanated for miles around in every direction before it eventually died down, showing two massive heap of smokes that were present after the two energy blasts were set off. The mermaids slowly opened their eyes, but they gasped loudly in shock as the entire island was turned into flat, desolate wasteland, the pile of smokes slowly dissipating and showing no sign that Goku survived.

"Oh no." Hanon said in sad voice as she looked down.

"Hippo, take us down there." Rina said, frowning seriously, but was heartbroken to see Goku seemingly gone.

"Right." Hippo nodded as he descended down on what's left of the island. After he landed, the mermaid princesses climbed down, with Lucia climbing down first, slowly walking forward at the shattered battlefield, void of any life whatsoever after Gaito's attack.

"Goku." Lucia whispered to herself in cracked, heartbroken voice, tears forming in her eyes and slowly flowing down her cheeks as she continued to walk forward before she stopped after a few paces. There was no sign of Goku anywhere as she desperately looked left and right, hoping against hope that he somehow survived.

"Lucia?" Hanon said worryingly as she stopped behind Lucia, along with Rina and other mermaid princesses. She was also very sad to see Goku was gone, but not nearly as much as Lucia.

"He's… out there somewhere, right? He…. He survived, didn't he?" Lucia asked desperately to her friends in a cracked voice filled with sorrow and disbelief. Hanon and Rina frowned sadly as they looked at each other, simply not knowing what to say without adding more insult to injury.

"Lucia, I'm sorry. I'm afraid that Goku is…" Karen frowned sadly.

"No Karen, don't say that! He is alive, he has to be! We have to find him!" Lucia shook her head in desperate and sad voice. But the six mermaid princesses have a remorseful look on their faces as they knew the truth. Goku was gone, no one was able to survive that attack. No one.

Lucia started to hiccup and sniff a little, refusing to believe that Goku was dead.

"GOKUUU! GOKUUUU!" Lucia turned around and called out to her beloved at the top of her lungs, her screams of desperation echoing across the barren battlefield.

"Lucia, please calm down!" Rina grabbed Lucia from her right to restrain her.

"Please Lucia, control yourself, please!" Hanon pleaded. Lucia squirmed for a while before she finally collapsed on her knees and arms, starting to snivel loudly as her hope was chipping away with each passing minute. Hanon couldn't help but form a few tears of sorrow of her own, along with Noel as a sign of condolence for Lucia.

"I'm really sorry Lucia. You know that I always believed that Goku will pull through in every fight, but this time…" Hanon stopped mid-sentence as she didn't had the heart to finish it. Lucia was already broken by the fact that Goku was no more. Hanon pulled Lucia into a hug to soothe her, but it didn't help her much considering the circumstances.

But then Lucia noticed an orange cloth in the distance being slowly dragged on the ground by the winds. She quickly stood up, much to Hanon's and Rina's surprise.

"Lucia!" Hanon exclaimed in surprise.

"Where are you going?" Rina asked, also in surprise like the rest of the group.

Lucia quickly reached the orange cloth, kneeling down on her knees and slowly reaching out to the orange cloth, clutching it with both of her hands. When she turned it around, there was an emblem of the Turtle School, something that Goku always had on his uniform. Tears dropped on the cloth as memories rushed to her mind about all the beautiful times that she and Goku shared before all this happened: most notably the time they first met after seven years, the time Goku rescued her from the blizzard, the true kiss they shared before he went to Mount Paozu. But it pained her heart more than it already was when memory of Goku being consumed in Gaito's energy blast a while ago rushed through her mind. Lucia closed her eyes and clutched onto the cloth close to her chest, starting to sniff and sob loudly.

But suddenly, Lucia's eyes shot open as she heard the sound of small pebbles to her right. The noise came from the pile of rocks that were seemingly stacked.

"What was that?" Sara asked. Now Hippo and the mermaid princesses were on alert on what it could possibly be. The rock formation started to slowly shift, tiny pebbles rolling down to the ground. The rocks started to move as a hand stuck out of the rubble, making the mermaids scream in panic. But soon enough, more rocks started to fall down to the ground. However, as more rocks started to clear up, the mermaid princesses, especially Lucia, smiled brightly as the person who emerged from the rubble was….

"Ouch! Man, that one hurt." A familiar person said, rubbing his head for pain to subside.

"GOKU!" The group said cheerfully, excluding Sara, who merely smiled that Goku lives. Lucia didn't hesitate even for a second as she ran towards her beloved, with other mermaids following suit.

Goku survived, but was brutally wounded, completely covered in blood, cuts and bruises show across his entire body, his upper uniform torn apart, along with his right leg of his pants. Goku was breathing hard as he tried to inhale as much air as he can after nearly suffocating beneath the rubble.

"Oh, hey guys." Goku smiled painfully, gritting his teeth as he tried to stand up, or at least in sitting position as he was pretty beat up after Gaito's last attack.

"GOKU!" Lucia shouted cheerfully as she lunged herself at Goku, hugging him tightly and rubbing her face on his chest. "You are alive, thank goodness you are alive! I was so worried about you!" She sniveled, but this time out of pure joy that he was alive and well. Mostly.

"Hey hey, take it easy Lucia, it hurts!" Goku gritted his teeth in pain. Lucia gasped as she immediately pulled away.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, did I hurt you?" Lucia said worryingly.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright." Goku smiled painfully to ease Lucia's worries, but it didn't help much as it pained her immensely to see her Goku being beaten so brutally, though it was nothing compared to the grievous injuries he received before. Goku tried to stand up, but Lucia, along with Hanon, helped him get up to a sitting position.

"Oh Goku, are you going to be okay?" Lucia smiled sadly.

"Yeah, but I think I'll be sore for a while." Goku laughed slightly.

"How in the world did you manage to survive that attack?" Hanon asked

"Well, the truth is, if I hadn't seen it coming at the last second, I would have been finished for good." Goku smiled painfully.

"Don't worry, we'll fix you up in no time with Senzu Beans you brought." Rina smiled.

"Yeah, about that, I'm afraid we are all out." Hippo said, laughing nervously.

"What? Since when did you use the rest?" Hanon scolded the guardian.

"I didn't really use it Miss Hanon, I was so distracted by Mr. Goku's battle that I didn't really pay attention that I dropped them at some point." Hippo said, sweat-dropping.

"Man, our Hippo is so irresponsible." Rina joked.

"I'm sorry." Hippo bowed his head down in shame, which made Goku and the mermaid princesses laugh light-heartedly at his expense.

"So Goku, do you think the fight is over? For good this time?" Karen asked.

"I'm not really sure. Give me a minute." Goku said before he closed his eyes to sense Gaito's energy. It took him a few seconds before he located him. "Yeah, I can still feel Gaito's power level." The mermaids gasped loudly at that.

"So that means that Gaito is still alive?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, but just barely. His energy signal is getting weaker." Goku said.

"Then there is no time, let's go and find him." Sara said worryingly. The entire group noticed this, wondering what she will do if they were to find Gaito. But they put those thoughts aside as they all agreed to go and find the villain.

"Agreed. Hippo, let's go." Lucia said with a slightly serious frown. The guardian nodded as he used his tail to help Goku mount on his back, along with other mermaid princesses before they departed.

Far away to the shores of the shattered island, Gaito gritted his teeth as he finally regressed to his original humanoid state, gritting his teeth in pain as he struggled with all his might to stand up.

"Impossible… this… is… im-possible." Gaito said in pain, holding onto the gaping shoulder wound, trying to stand up, but didn't had the strength to do it, resulting in him falling on both of his knees. "I have… lost. Bested… by a mere human. This… shouldn't have happened." Gaito growled before he coughed up a chunk of blood, leaning on his good arm so he wouldn't fall on his face. "His power… exceeded mine. What… is he?"

But while he was licking his wounds of defeat, Goku, using his ability to sense energy, guided the group to Gaito's location.

"Look, there he is." Hanon said, pointing at their enemy. Gaito saw the group coming, straightening himself a little. He closed his eyes and bowed his head down, holding onto his wound on the right shoulder, ready to accept his inevitable demise, given his current state.

Goku slowly dismounted and landed on his feet, along with the other mermaid princesses. Goku almost fell down, but Hippo helped him stand with his tail.

"Goku, please don't force yourself. You are exhausted from that last attack." Lucia said worryingly.

"Don't worry Lucia, I still have some reserves in me. I'll be fine." Goku smiled at Lucia before he turned towards bloodied and beaten Gaito with a serious frown, with the winds starting to blow and occasional lightning shooting down. As he was slowly drawing near his opponent, even from a good distance between then, he saw that he looked absolutely defeated from the inside, his resolve shattered. He didn't leave him much of a choice, he had to fight. He would lie if he didn't enjoy a good challenge that Gaito offered, but it was mostly to protect Lucia and his friends.

"Go ahead… human." Gaito suddenly said. Goku's eyes went slightly wide in surprise as he probably knew where he was going with that. "Mock me. Laugh at me. Now that I am… powerless and defeated. Now that my hopes… to escape the eternal darkness… is gone. So go ahead… laugh at me." Gaito said in defeated voice.

"No Gaito. There is nothing funny about this." Goku said seriously. Gaito looked up at Goku with a serious frown. "I cannot allow you to get away for all the trouble you caused to innocent people." Then Goku clenched his right fist, raising it to his shoulder level and leaning back for a finishing power punch. "You brought this on yourself, you know."

"Goku, no!" Sara cried out, running towards Gaito and stopping between them with her arms spread out, much to everyone's surprise.

"Sara, what are you doing? Move out of the way." Goku frowned seriously.

"No, I won't let you do it. I will not let you kill Gaito." Sara said in desperate voice.

"What are you saying? He tried to destroy the entire planet, along with everyone on Earth. Even you." Goku pointed out in a serious tone.

"But that's because _I_ was the one who goaded him into invading the surface world for me." Sara said, with tears of sorrow and guilt forming in her eyes.

"What?!" Goku exclaimed in shock and surprise. Sara bowed her head down in shame in turn.

"Yes, it's all my fault. Gaito never had the intention of conquering humanity. He merely wanted to escape the eternal darkness where he was imprisoned for over a decade." Sara then looked at Goku with teary eyes. "It was me who convinced him to conquer the surface world in my name. If you have to kill someone, then kill me."

"Sara, don't!" Gaito pleaded, but Sara shook her head.

"No, I've made my decision. I already caused too much suffering to my fellow mermaid princesses. Even Taro. So go ahead Goku, strike me down. But please, spare Gaito's life. It's the only thing I beg of you." Sara pleaded desperately, with tears flowing from her eyes.

Now all eyes were fixed on Goku, waiting in anticipation of his next course of action. He found himself on a stalemate. He really wanted to finish Gaito off once and for all to prevent future threats to his friends and by extension, the planet. But does it mean he would have to go through Sara and end her life as well? He was never a murderer, he never took lives unless he was backed into a corner. But this was a different scenario, this time he has a choice: mercy or death.

"Don't do it Goku. You are better than that." Lucia said to herself in low voice, clutching her pendant worryingly, hoping that he won't choose death to Sara and Gaito, regardless of their past transgressions. The Goku she knew was never a killer, he would never take a life unless the situation was absolutely desperate.

But ultimately, Goku decided to stay his hand, lowering his fist. Sara sighed inwardly, along with Lucia, who was glad that Goku didn't take the path of a murderer. It may appear like justice, but it wouldn't be right and Goku and Lucia both knew this.

Lucia smiled lovingly as she held Goku's arm, entwining her fingers with his.

"It took a lot of courage to do what you did." Lucia smiled as she kissed him on a cheek, with Goku having an innocent expression in turn. "I'm so proud of you."

Goku looked at her innocently before he scratched his cheek nervously. "You think so? Thanks Lucia." He chuckled nervously. Lucia giggled cutely while the five mermaid princesses merely smiled, glad that everything turned out well. They were all really baffled how he is so incredibly powerful, yet he never loses his innocent nature, even for an instant. They were kinda against the idea of sparing Gaito's life, but all of them, even Goku, will be ready to stop him again if he decides to go rogue once again.

However, the events quickly turned to worse as suddenly, a beam of yellow energy shot through Sara's right shoulder, much to everyone's shock. The orange mermaid princess coughed up blood as she fell down, barely clinging to life.

"SARA!" Gaito shouted in disbelief. He fell down on the ground, dragging his limp body with his arm next to Sara.

Goku growled as he looked up at where the blast came from.

 **=Play Music: Dragon Ball soundtrack 22 0:00 to 1:05=**

"Goku?" Lucia asked him worryingly, but his eyes were fixed at the sky. Lucia looked up in Goku's direction, followed by Hippo and other mermaid princesses. All of them noticed a shadowy, cloaked figure, who was chuckling maliciously. When thunder struck, the assailant was revealed to be a green-skinned man with pointy ears, wearing a dark purplish blue gi with sky blue sash, the white turban and white cape with wide shoulderpads.

"Piccolo." Goku growled angrily.

"It's been a long time… Goku." Piccolo taunted with a vicious grin. Goku continued to growl angrily by Piccolo's sneak attack on Sara, much to Piccolo's amusement. "Why that angry look on your face? I thought you'd be glad to see your old nemesis standing before you."

"What do you want, Piccolo?! Too impatient to wait till the tournament, so you came here to kill my friends?!" Goku growled angrily.

"Oh please." Piccolo shrugged as he descended to the ground to Goku's left, where he cautiously pulled Lucia behind him for protection. "If you must know, I sensed a disturbance in the Earth's energy and I followed the awful power right to this location." Piccolo said seriously before he grinned maliciously. "But I figured I would find you here. Always playing the hero."

Goku had enough as he charged at Piccolo, determined to make him pay for that sneak attack on Sara, but the villain laughed as he managed to effortlessly dodge his punches and knock him down hard with a chop behind his neck.

"Goku!" Lucia shouted out worryingly. Goku gritted his teeth and coughed up slightly as he was slowly getting back on his feet, using what's left of his energy to do it. Piccolo realized this as he briefly laughed arrogantly.

"You know, killing you right now would be like shooting a fish in the barrel. Would have been all too easy." Piccolo taunted as Goku clenched his fists to his sides. "But, it would have also been a show of mercy to give you a quick death right now. " Then he started to hover in the air, with his arms folded. "You are going to show up in the tournament, where I plan to humiliate you, and then break you in front of the whole world. And then, when I'm through with you, I will kill you in front of your friends before they join you in the afterlife." Piccolo laughed sadistically as he flew into the distance high in the sky. Goku stood upright as he looked at him enemy departing with a serious expression. This was something that worried Lucia greatly. That look on his face was far more serious then it was when he fought Gaito, it's almost as he will go for blood against that green-skinned creature.

"S-Sara." Gaito suddenly said in weakened state, attracting the attention of Goku and other mermaid princesses. "Sara, please… say something. Sara." Gaito pleaded, but Sara was in critical condition, her life force slipping away fast. She barely had the strength to look at Gaito with a gentle smile, but her eyelids were getting heavy, slowly succumbing to the injury inflicted on her.

"No. Don't you dare die on me. Sara. Sara!" Gaito pleaded, but Sara closed her eyes and let out her final breath. Gaito's eyes went wide in shock, while the mermaid princesses silently gasped as one of their own just died.

"Sara." Coco frowned sadly, feeling remorseful over the death of her friend.

Gaito clenched onto the orange seashell pendant containing her orange pearl with utter desperation and grief, with only one thought in his mind: To bring his beloved Sara back to life.

"Aqua Regina… if there is one thing… I ask of you, is to… bring Sara back." Gaito said in low voice before he started to growl angrily. "DO YOU HEAR ME?! SHOW YOURSELF AND BRING SARA BAAAACK!" Gaito shouted to the heavens, so hard that some of the blood sprayed from his right shoulder, but he didn't care, his words echoing across the shattered island. But nothing happened as he slammed the ground with his left arm, bowing his head down hopelessly.

However, no one would expect that Gaito's plea, one who wasn't the mermaid princess himself, would make the orange pearl glow. Gaito looked as the pearl is indeed starting to glow, along with the other six pearls of respective colors.

"What? What is happening?" Hanon asked in surprise.

Much to everyone's surprise, Aqua Regina answered the call as with the power of the seven pearls, she appeared once again in front of the group, as glorious and soothing to behold as ever.

"Aqua Regina! I beg of you, save Sara's life if you can! I will give my own life if need be if it means she continues to live!" Gaito pleaded. It was quite unusual for Goku and the mermaid princesses to see Gaito begging for someone's life, but it would seem that he deeply cared for Sara, which gave them a sense for compassion for their adversary.

But Aqua Regina silently hovered closer and closer to incapacitated Sara and wounded Gaito. Then after a while of waiting in anticipation, the deity smiled gently.

"Your affection towards the mermaid princess Sara is the reason why I am here. Your soul may yet be redeemed. And as for your request, both of you will be given a second chance." Aqua Regina said as she swung her staff high. The radiant light emanated from her staff, with its rays engulfing both Gaito and Sara, healing their wounds slowly, but surely, though she could do so much for them, not wanting to risk Gaito's possible rampage. Gaito gained a little bit of strength back, so did Sara as she slowly opened her eyes. While the light rays were dying out, Sara looked at the familiar figure near her.

"Gaito?" Sara said.

"Sara. Thank goodness, you are okay." Gaito smiled. Sara slowly got up on her feet, helped by Gaito as he too stood up.

"Sara." Coco smiled, happy that her friend was alive and well, with even tears of joy forming in her eyes. But while the others smiled that things turned out relatively fine, Goku frowned in frustration as he remembered what Aqua Regina did way back in Lucia's kingdom in North Pacific.

"Hey, Aqua Regina lady!" Goku exclaimed, much to everyone's surprise. "Why did you had to erase my memories back then, what's the deal?!" Goku asked.

"Goku, calm down." Lucia said, grabbing his arm to restrain him.

"Goku, show some respect. You are speaking to the deity of the mermaids." Noel said in serious tone.

"I don't care! What she did was wrong and it hurt Lucia a lot." Goku said seriously. Lucia blushed pinkish red, touched that Goku is defying the goddess herself just because her actions hurt Lucia's feelings.

"Son Goku, I deeply apologize for my actions in North Pacific." Aqua Regina closed her eyes in shame before she looked at the young warrior. "But because of Gaito's evergrowing power, I dreaded that humanity would suffer the same genocide as it had at the hands of the person you are well familiar with: King Piccolo. That is why I did what had to be done, so that humankind would had no interference whatsoever with the war in the deeps." She explained.

"Genocide? You mean kill?" Goku said, not knowing what that word entirely means, but Aqua Regina nodded to confirm his question. "But I stopped King Piccolo three years ago, there is no way he would kill everyone on the planet in a day."

"I do not speak of the events that transpired three years ago. This ancient creature of evil existed long before all of you were ever born, three hundred years ago to be exact." Aqua Regina said.

"No way! King Piccolo lived for that long?!" Goku said in shock and surprise. Hippo and the other mermaid princesses, besides Lucia, were unfamiliar with this King Piccolo that Goku seemingly had history with. Lucia only knew what Goku told her, but it would seem there is more to that creature then all of them realized, even Goku.

"Indeed." Aqua Regina looked at Goku before she turned her attention to her devout followers. "All of you are ignorant to this monster for a reason. I never mentioned him because it was an evil thought to be still buried in the darkness of the ocean floor. Gather round and listen well." She inquired. Everyone gathered together, including Goku and Gaito, all too curious about the green-skinned villain that appeared moments before. Goku knew that King Piccolo was an amalgam of all the evil emotions Kami expelled from his body before he could before the Guardian of the Earth, but he never knew what kind of atrocities King Piccolo committed at that time.

Aqua Regina closed her eyes as she remembered those horrible times.

"Three hundred years ago, an unspeakable evil was released into the world of man. That evil being was named King Piccolo. Legions of demons under his command ensued chaos and destruction everywhere they go, taking great pleasure in pain and suffering humankind had to endure." Aqua Regina said, having flashbacks of how she witnessed in her realm the carnage that King Piccolo's minions wrought on one of the cities, with its citizens screaming in panic, running for their lives, while the demons swooped from the skies, cackling and laughing sadistically as they went for the kill.

"No one was spared. Men, women and children alike were all slaughtered by the countless minions of King Piccolo. Those who offered resistance of any kind were killed without mercy." Then Aqua Regina opened her eyes. "But, there was one formidable force who challenged the horde of demons. One secluded temple in the wilds was assaulted by King Piccolo's army, never expecting to find a very powerful group of martial artists perfecting the art of combat." She said as she had flashback of the group of martial artists charged at the demons, destroying them one by one.

"The army of King Piccolo never expected that the martial artists would prove to be formidable foes to defeat. Many demons were destroyed, but even more warriors were killed by the ensuing battle. The fight carried on until two of the warriors were left standing…" Aqua Regina said to the mermaid princesses before she looked at Goku. "Warriors who you are all too familiar with. One was the Turtle Hermit Roshi and the other was the Crane Hermit Shen."

"Really?! Master Roshi and crane hermit fought King Piccolo?!" Goku exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes." Aqua Regina nodded before she continued. "Even though they were hopelessly outnumbered, in the end, they managed to defeat the army invading the temple." Aqua Regina said, having flashback of how young Roshi and Shen absorbed the incoming attack of the demons and reflected it back at the group of demons, obliterating them in midair before they kneeled down in fatigue.

"However, when King Piccolo himself entered the fray, the two warriors were effortlessly beaten by the leader of the demonic horde. There was only one warrior left, the strongest human of his time who stood against him. That man was named Mutaito."

" _Why have you attacked? This massacre was completely senseless." Mutaito asked in mixture of anger at the monster and sorrow for the loss of so many lives._

" _Do you want the truth, that it was mere amusement? Or do you need a higher purpose, perhaps fate?" King Piccolo said with sadistic grin._

" _But we pose no threat. We are seekers of peace." Mutaito retorted._

" _And you shall find it, in death." King Piccolo laughed sadistically._

" _I tried to be nice, now we'll do it the hard way." Mutaito said as he took his fighting stance._

" _Foolish." King Piccolo shrugged as he fired a finger beam on Mutaito's shoulder, but the old veteran charged anyway._

" _You want more?" King Piccolo taunted, sending more finger beams that struck several body parts in Mutaito's body. "Very good, where did you learn to dance?" He jested, firing more painful finger beams._

" _Master Mutaito. He is toying with him like he is nothing." Young Roshi said._

" _No, this can't be happening." Shen said, shaking his head in denial as Mutaito fell down on the ground._

" _What's wrong, done already?" King Piccolo taunted with sadistic grin on his face._

" _Master, no!" Young Roshi called out, but Mutaito stood up again. King Piccolo laughed as he delivered a final finger beam, with Mutaito falling down to the ground._

"The last hope for humanity died along with Mutaito. Out of show of mockery, he spared the two surviving warriors, knowing they stood no chance against a mighty being like himself." Aqua Regina closed her eyes before she looked at the group again, who listened to her every word.

" _Mutaito. Why does the name sound so familiar?"_ Goku thought. After a few moments, his eyes went wide as he remembered who that person was. If what she said was true, then Goku fought the same person in martial arts academy when he used the Time Room during his training with Kami and Mr. Popo. What confused him the most is that Mutaito was a lot stronger than he was and that was after he gained the power boost he needed to fight and defeat King Piccolo. He would have to ask Kami or Mr. Popo about that confusing detail when he sees them again.

"A whole year has passed since that one-sided battle and King Piccolo continued to sow carnage one settlement after another." Aqua Regina said before looking specifically at Lucia." It was at that point that the mermaid princess of the North Pacific, your ancestor, decided to take action, unable to stand and watch any longer as humanity continued to suffer. She held a council with the other six mermaid princesses to take action against such a creature of evil." Aqua Regina said, having flashback of how they all agreed to the proposal of the pink mermaid princess, sharing her sympathy. They used the power of the seven pearls to summon Aqua Regina, who gave them her blessing. Then the seven mermaid princesses ventured to the surface world, only to find the landscape around them in ruins, like they walked into a nightmare.

" _So… much death." Pink mermaid princess ancestor said, her eyes wide in shock and disbelief._

" _I can't believe that someone is so heartless to commit such atrocities." The blue mermaid princess ancestor said, looking around to find dried bones, withered plant life, stained with ponds of human blood everywhere. But it was then that they saw the demonic horde descending from the sky, forming up on the ground like a swarm, cackling and laughing as they found new victims to prey upon. The seven mermaid princesses assumed their Idol Forms and they started to sing as a single unit._

"The mermaid princesses were united in their cause. They managed to fend off the legion that descended on them, until King Piccolo personally decided to indulge himself in sadistic tortures he was so fond off." Aqua Regina said with tinge of spite towards this ancient foe.

" _You will pay for all the lives you've stolen, you monster!" Pink mermaid princess said angrily._

" _How cute, a bunch of cheerleaders are actually going to fight me. I'd_ _ **love**_ _to see you try." King Piccolo said with sadistic grin, folding his arms arrogantly. Even though he was leagues above the mermaid princesses in terms of power, the power of the mermaids affected his evil heart. While they were singing, King Piccolo bent his knee in excruciating pain._

" _Loving power of the mermaids!" The seven mermaid princesses pointed at King Piccolo, sending him flying backwards and crashing into a boulder._

" _How about an encore?" They said in unison._

"The mermaid princesses fought valiantly against King Piccolo, they even had the upper hand against him. But, their celebration was short lived as the monster was toying with them from the start." Aqua Regina said.

 _King Piccolo roared angrily as a large boulder shattered into pebbles, flying in all directions. Before they could act, the furious King Piccolo disappeared in a blur and plunged both of his clawed hands straight through the stomach of dark-blue and purple mermaid princesses, making them cough out a lot of blood. The other five mermaid princesses looked in utter shock and terror as King Piccolo laughed sadistically. He disappeared again before he grabbed the yellow mermaid by the head and lifted her in the air. The yellow mermaid princess screamed in agony as King Piccolo squeezed the life out of her. The orange mermaid ran to rescue her, but King Piccolo fired a volley of finger beams from all five of his fingers, piercing throughout the entire body of the mermaid princess, killing her before her limp body fell down to the ground. Then King Piccolo grinned wickedly to the pink, blue and green mermaid princesses as the yellow mermaid princess started to scream louder and louder, until King Piccolo crushed her head completely, much to the horror of the remaining mermaids. King Piccolo moved for his next kill as he disappeared in a blur yet again, grabbing the pink mermaid by the throat, lifting her in the air. But before blue and green mermaid princess could act and save their comrade, King Piccolo waved with his hand and sent reddish black winds to blow the two mermaids away, making them slam down to the ground. Then with a wicked grin, he shot a powerful eye beam at the two mermaids, creating an explosion as soon as the attack made contact, killing them on the spot. The pink mermaid princess looked in horror as she was the only one left._

" _A rather amusing display. But now it's time for you to die." King Piccolo said darkly. The pink mermaid princess could only look in terror as King Piccolo lifted his hand and penetrated through her chest like it was nothing, brutally pulling out her still beating heart. The mermaid's body went limp, her pupils disappearing and going completely white. Satisfied, King Piccolo dropped the dead body of the mermaid and crushed the heart he clutched in his hand, licking the blood of the mermaids delightfully from his mouth. Then, when it was all said and done, he departed to wreak more havoc across the world._

"There wasn't even a shred of remorse in King Piccolo. He killed all seven of the mermaid princesses with brutal abandon."

"Why didn't you help them beat King Piccolo?! I know you could have helped them because you beat Lillith goddess way before that!" Goku exclaimed angrily. "If you had, then Krillin and Master Roshi wouldn't have died in the first place!"

"Goku, please calm down." Lucia pleaded, grabbing Goku by his arm. Aqua Regina was surprised that he knew about her battle five hundred years ago, thus she bowed her head down in shame with closed eyes.

"I'm afraid I couldn't." Aqua Regina said before she looked at Goku again. "When I defeated the goddess, her death bound me to my realm. Now it is impossible for me to fully enter the mortal world, I can only appear as an echo of myself like I am right now, so my powers in this state are limited." She explained. Goku's anger slightly subsided as he decided to hear her out to the end. Noticing this, Aqua Regina continued.

"All hope was lost when he defeated the mermaid princesses. For six years, King Piccolo slowly rampaged across the world, exterminating humankind to near extinction. However, one last hope remained. The old martial arts master, Mutaito, recovered from the grievous injuries he received from King Piccolo, returning with the means to rid the monster from this world once and for all."

" _Cease fire and surrender Piccolo, or face the consequences." Mutaito warned, placing a pink electronic jar with demon seal on it in front of him._

" _Oh, I'd prefer to watch you dance." King Piccolo taunted, delighted that he will torture foolish martial artist again, but this time he will finish him for good. But this time, Mutaito extended his hands and they started to glow green, spreading throughout his body. King Piccolo shrugged as he continued with his intention of torture._

" _Enjoy." King Piccolo said as he fired a finger beam. But this time, it had no effect, much to his shock. "What?!" His eyes went wide as he fired an energy blast from his hand, but it still had no effect as Mutaito's technique was taking effect. A big green whirlwind started to form, trapping King Piccolo within. In quick succession, Mutaito sealed King Piccolo in a jar. With young Roshi's help, he managed to seal the jar before King Piccolo could escape._

"With a powerful technique of his own design, Mutaito sealed King Piccolo in his prison forever. But, he paid the ultimate price as his ability drained every ounce of life force within him. The jar where he was imprisoned was thrown into the sea, where it would remain in the darkness of the bottom of the ocean for all eternity. However, three hundred years later, the jar was opened and King Piccolo was released to wreak havoc upon the people of Earth once again. That was three years ago."

"But wait, if King Piccolo was truly sealed in a jar and throw into the sea, how come none of us knew of that? We would have protected the jar from anyone who would try to open it." Rina said.

"It was too great of a risk. If the existence of a jar were to be known, many would try to open it out of curiosity or worse, to forge an alliance with the demon king for their own nefarious purposes to cause even more chaos. That is why it remained a closely guarded secret to a very few who knew about it." Aqua Regina explained before she continued.

"Three years ago, King Piccolo was released to wreak havoc again, but before he could carry out his plans, he was stopped by someone who all of you know, someone who is standing among you. That man… is Goku." Aqua Regina smiled, grateful that he stopped King Piccolo in his tracks before he could cause harm to the planet. Everyone in the group looked at Goku with shocked and surprised expressions, excluding Lucia, who knew of those events because Goku told her about it. Goku rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously.

"It was nothing really." Goku said bashfully.

"Nothing? Goku, you are being too modest." Rina smiled. Lucia and Hanon giggled, while Karen, Noel, Coco and Sara smiled. Gaito remained passive as stern gaze never left his expression, still listening to Aqua Regina's story with folded arms.

"This is the reason why I erased your memories of the day when you fought Gaito, Goku. I feared that if humanity were to interfere in the war between the Panthalassa and the mermaids, then Gaito would wreak chaos and destruction to the human world much like King Piccolo did centuries ago. I can only ask for your forgiveness." Aqua Regina bowed her head down. Now that everything was clear to Goku, his anger dissipated as he had his typical smile on his face.

"It's okay. I understand everything now, thanks for clearing things up for me." Goku smiled. Aqua Regina nodded before she looked at Lucia.

"I would also like to extend my apologies to you, mermaid princess Lucia. I realized the damage I caused to you back in North Pacific and I can only ask for your forgiveness as well."

"It's okay mistress Aqua Regina, I forgive you." Lucia smiled. "Besides, if you didn't do what you did, then Goku and I wouldn't be a couple right now, with the bond between us stronger than ever." She looked at Goku lovingly. Goku looked at her blankly for a few seconds before he gave her his signature smile.

"Goku." Aqua Regina said, regaining the attention of the entire group. "Now that you know that Piccolo returned, you know what you must do to stop him. You are the only one who has the power to do it. Failure is not an option, but I assume you already understand that." Aqua Regina said seriously. Goku's face also went serious as he nodded. Aqua Regina then smiled as she used her staff to engulf Goku with radiant rays of light, healing all of his injuries and restoring his strength in the process, though she didn't had the ability to repair Goku's clothes.

"Wow. Thanks, Aqua Regina." Goku smiled brightly.

"Before I leave, there is one thing left to be done." Aqua Regina smiled as she waved her staff high again, conjuring rainbow rays of light that emanated the seven mermaid princesses, with sparkly auras of respective colors floating from their bodies and dissipating in the air. "The curse of the sea foam has been lifted. All seven of you no longer have to worry about your identities being discovered and you can reveal your true selves without any consequences." She smiled.

The mermaid princesses couldn't believe it to be possible. The curse that has been the bane of the careless mermaids has been purged from them. They smiled brightly and they even started to laugh cheerfully, most notably Lucia and Hanon. Goku smiled as he was glad that Lucia didn't had to be chained to that annoying little curse that threatened her very life. Even Gaito couldn't help but crack a faint smile, mostly because of Sara.

"Now it's time for me to bid you farewell. And good luck in your battle against Piccolo. I will always watch over you all." Aqua Regina said before she finally disappeared. The group watched her depart with a smile before Goku turned his attention to Lucia.

"I'm so glad for you Lucia. Now you can be in your mermaid form whenever you want." Goku smiled brightly.

"Yeah, isn't that amazing?!" Lucia said cheerfully as she ran towards Goku, hugging him tightly around his neck, swinging around a few times while both of them laughed and giggled childishly. Then Goku dropped her down and when he did, Lucia caught him off guard by kissing him on the lips due to the immeasurable amount of joy. After a few seconds he reciprocated the kiss.

"Wow Lucia, you are getting bolder by the day, aren't you?" Hanon teased Lucia, which made Lucia break the kiss and blush heavily, looking down on Goku's chest.

"Yes, I'm honestly surprised that you would jump on him like that." Rina teased as well.

"Shut up! Stop with your teasing already!" Lucia squealed in embarrassment, which made Hanon and Rina laugh light-heartedly at her expense, followed by everyone else in the group, excluding Gaito, who had a neutral look on his face, feeling completely out of place since he was their enemy not so long ago.

* * *

The entire group left the barren wasteland that was their battleground and left to check on Taro and Kaito where Hippo left them to recuperate. Since he didn't know any other safe place, he left them at the beach where Goku trains every day. Goku and the mermaid princesses, excluding Sara, who stood with Gaito a good distance from the group, approached the two to see if they weren't injured.

"Hello." Goku greeted the two of them cheerfully. The mermaid princesses dropped from the Idol Forms back to their human disguises before they arrived at Goku's beach.

"Oh, hi Goku. What are you all doing here? Are you having some kind of gathering again?" Taro asked Goku.

"Yeah, you can say that. Are you okay, Mr. Mitsuki? We found you unconscious, so we came here to check if you were alright." Goku asked him with innocent expression, even though he knew the whole thing.

"I'm fine, but you look a little ragged. What happened to you?" Taro asked curiously.

"Oh nothing, I just used some old clothes I had for training, I didn't had time to change when Lucia and her friends arrived." Goku lied, chuckling nervously and rubbing the back of his head. Then he immediately went to change the subject to avoid further questioning.

"By the way, do you remember what happened that made you faint?" Goku asked.

"I don't know. All I remember was… Sara." Taro said, rubbing his head as he remembered that moment where he was lying down in Sara's arms. "I'm afraid that's the final time I get to see her. I know, because I have a feeling that it's so." He said. Then Hanon took a few steps forward.

"Mr. Mitsuki, are you okay?" Hanon asked worryingly.

"Yes, I'm alright. I'm just feeling a little dizzy, that's all. Maybe a good night sleep will make me feel better." Taro smiled to ease Hanon's worries.

"Do you want me to help you escort you home?" Hanon asked.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I will go alone. I'll see you all at school." Taro said tiredly before he departed, leaving Hanon with sad expression on her face.

Far away from the group behind a tree, Sara looked sadly as Taro was walking away, going back home.

"Taro." Sara said sadly.

"You realize there is still time to be with him again, Sara?" Gaito suddenly said from behind her, folding his arms as he stopped next to her with serious expression. "I am aware of your feelings towards that human. I may not know much, but from the looks of things, you two had a budding history." He then looked at Sara. "If you want to be with him again, this is your chance. I will not stop you." He looked down with serious, yet almost sad expression. Sara knew Gaito has feelings for her. The feeling was mutual when her heart was still consumed by anger and vengeance, but she couldn't deny that Taro was her first love mate.

"No, Gaito. I will remain here with you." Sara smiled, much to Gaito's surprise.

"Huh?" Gaito said.

"I don't deserve to be with Taro again, not after all the suffering he had to endure because of me. Not only him, but my fellow mermaid princesses as well." Sara looked sadly at departing Taro before she smiled at Gaito. "I will always be with you Gaito. We will go into exile together, far away where no one will be harmed." She said. Gaito smiled at her words, but then he had a serious expression on his face again.

"Not yet." Gaito said, much to Sara's surprise. "First we have to deal with Piccolo in the tournament where Goku will attend. And then we will decide what to do next." Gaito said as he looked at the group. Soon enough, both of them departed to join with the others.

After Taro made some distance, Kaito finally took a few steps towards Goku with serious expression.

"Goku." Kaito said. Goku and Lucia looked at him with blank expressions. "I'm truly sorry for what I did. I feel horrible that I let my emotions cloud my judgment and forced me to fight you back there." He said with remorseful look on his face.

"It's okay Kaito. Gaito was controlling you, so it's not like you had a choice in the matter." Goku smiled.

"Actually, I did." Kaito said in serious tone. The smile on Goku's face disappeared into blank expression again. "I feel so horrible because I harbored nothing but resentment and jealousy for you. It began ever since you and Lucia enrolled in school, in same class like mine." Kaito looked down, having flashbacks of the past. "I noticed from the start that Lucia had feelings for you. After all, she didn't notice anyone but you. But as I got to know Lucia better over time when we attended classes together, my feelings grew over time as well. I thought I had a chance to forge a strong bond with her in a way, but it turns out it was a one-sided relationship." He said to Goku before he looked at Lucia. "No matter how hard I tried, my feelings for you never faded, not even in the slightest."

"It's only natural, brother." Gaito suddenly said as he walked towards the group. "The descendants of the Panthalassa Clan were known to have an unbreakable bond with the one they love, so it's not surprising that your feelings towards the mermaid princess never changed." He said. Kaito looked at his twin brother before he looked at Lucia again.

"Either way, I know what I did was wrong. I realize that now and I fully accept the fact that you love Goku with all your heart. And I wish you all the best." Kaito smiled to Lucia before he looked at Goku. "To both of you." He said. Lucia then took a step forward.

"I know how you feel Kaito. Truly I do." Lucia said with compassionate expression on her face. "Maybe if we met seven years ago, things might have turned out differently." She smiled before her face went slightly serious. "But you have to understand, Goku and I went through a lot to reach this point. He almost gave his life on multiple occasions to save me. "She then placed her hand on her chest." My love for him never wavered even for a second, despite of my own doubts. He is the only one in my heart and it will always be that way." She explained. Her words felt like someone stabbed him with a dagger straight through his heart, but he accepted that fact as he closed his eyes. He was caught a little off guard though when Lucia gently placed her hand on his cheek.

"I hope one day you will find a girl that loves you for who you are, Kaito. You are an amazing person and I'm sure the girl you have your eyes on will know that." Lucia smiled as she lowered her hand. The truth is, no one can replace Lucia not only for her beauty, but for her cheerful and naïve personality, much like Goku's. A match made in heaven, that's for sure, something that he is now willing to accept.

"Thanks Lucia. Goku is one lucky guy to have someone like you." Kaito smiled. Lucia blushed a little as she looked at Goku, who was snickering childishly while rubbing the back of his head.

At the same time, Hippo approached Gaito in his human form to ask him only one question that plagued his mind recently.

"Mr. Gaito? Is it possible to bring Miss Yuri back?" Hippo asked desperately.

"Yuri?" Gaito said.

"Yes. Please Mr. Gaito, if there is any way to bring her back, then I beg of you. It's the only thing I desire, to see my Yuri again." Hippo pleaded. The entire group turned their attention to the guardian, curious as to what will Gaito's answer to his plea might be.

"Of course." Gaito smiled faintly.

"What? Really?!" Hippo exclaimed, his eyes beaming with hope.

"Take a look over there." Gaito said as he pointed at the sea, where a black tang fish was jumping up and down from the sea. "This is Yuri's fish form. I am well aware of the bond that you two share." Then his hand glowed with dark aura. "If Yuri's return is what you truly desire, then it is a wish I am willing to grant." He said. Then he used the last remaining power of the Panthalassa to channel it into the fish. The fish started to grow in size, assuming a humanoid shape that Hippo recognized all too well.

"What? What happened? Alright, it's me again!" Yuri said cheerfully.

"Miss Yuri!" Hippo exclaimed cheerfully. Yuri couldn't believe at who she saw. "Miss Yuri!"

"Hippo! My dear Hippo!" Yuri blushed and tears of joy formed in her heart as two young lovers rushed towards each other. Hippo hugged Yuri and swung her around a few times before he lowered her to the ground. Lucia was so glad for Hippo that tears of joy formed in her eyes.

"Well, it looks like Gaito is not so bad after all." Goku smiled brightly that everything turned out well in the end.

"Oh shut up." Gaito growled angrily at Goku, drawing his attention, along with Lucia's. "Don't think this changes anything between you and I, Goku. We still have a score to settle when the whole Piccolo fiasco is done and over with." Gaito said.

"Sure." Goku nodded with a smirk, much to Gaito's annoyance and surprisingly, a great deal of respect. In fact, he was amazed how he was always ready for any challenge that might come in his way, even if it's bigger than he is, not showing even a tinge of fear, but excitement. The other mermaid princesses also noticed this, especially Lucia. Despite of the brutal punishment he received from his last battle, he is still willing to come back for more.

"However, there is one thing I would ask of you. Allow me to fight by your side against Piccolo, he will pay for what he had done to Sara." Gaito frowned angrily.

"Easy there Gaito. Piccolo will compete at The World Martial Arts Tournament, so if any of you were to jump into the fight, then he could get disqualified and I won't be able to fight him." Goku smiled.

"Are you out of your mind?! You play by the rules if you want, but I am going to eliminate him before he becomes too great of a threat!" Gaito exclaimed, infuriated that he would take something so threatening as Piccolo so casually.

"Look, if Piccolo is willing to play by the rules, then so will you. Besides, in your current state, you don't stand a chance against Piccolo unless you transform into that giant dragon thing. Feel free to deny it if you want, but you know it's true." Goku explained in a slightly serious tone. Goku was aware of that fact because he sensed Piccolo's energy and he was surprised at how strong he had become. He doesn't know what his maximum power is, but he knows for sure that his power is far greater than Gaito's.

"Fine. But if you fail, then I won't hesitate to finish the job." Gaito said, folding his arms.

"Great, it's unanimous." Goku said cheerfully to Gaito before he turned to the mermaid princesses, while at the same time Hippo and Yuri joined the group, holding hands.

"Man, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving. I say we head home and grab a bite to eat." Goku said cheerfully.

"I couldn't agree more. Let's go back to the Pearl Hotel, I'm sure Nicole readied that delicious stew for us." Lucia said cheerfully as well.

"Hey Kaito, wanna tag along? We are going to have a big feast." Goku asked cheerfully.

"Thanks Goku, but I think I'm going to go home and get some much needed rest." Kaito smiled.

"Oh okay. Guess I'll see ya at school. Bye." Goku said before he departed with Lucia and other mermaid princesses, followed by Hippo and Yuri.

"See ya Goku." Kaito waved goodbye. He couldn't help but look sadly at Lucia holding Goku's hand, happier than she could ever be. But he closed his eyes and smiled, accepting the fact that she is Goku's girlfriend and finally deciding to carry on with his life.

"So, what about you? Since you have nowhere else to go, wanna stay at my place? I can teach you how to surf." Kaito asked his twin brother.

"Thanks for the offer Kaito, but I think I have already done enough damage to you." Gaito smiled as he started to walk away. "After Goku and I deal with Piccolo, I will go into exile with Sara." Gaito then smiled. "However, I am going to ask you to master your power, brother. You are the descendant of the Panthalassa Clan, after all."

"Sure thing." Kaito smirked. Gaito nodded as he went to join the group departing to Pearl Hotel.

"Man, I can't wait to eat Nicole's meal, I'm famished." Lucia said cheerfully.

"Well, I was hoping you would make a feast for all of us Lucia. Your cooking is amazing." Goku smiled.

"Yeah right, what do I look like, a cooking robot?" Lucia slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Ouch! Hey, I give you a compliment and this is what I get? No fair." Goku said, pretending to whine childishly as he rubbed his shoulder in fake pain. Lucia started to crack up and laugh light-heartedly, followed by Goku, Hippo, Yuri and other six mermaid princesses.

Thanks to the heroic efforts of Goku and the mermaid princesses, Gaito was stopped in his tracks and forged a temporary alliance with him in face of a greater threat that would appear at The World Martial Arts Tournament in two short days. Now there was only one threat that Goku needs to deal with in the future: Piccolo.


	23. Chapter 23

~Anonymous Proposal~

Two days have passed since Goku's battle against Gaito. During that time, by King Furry's global request, many volunteers across the world arrived to help the citizens in need to reconstruct the once beautiful and peaceful South City. Construction workers, electricians, gardeners, engineers, all the people of various professions have heard the call of their king as they were rebuilding the city. Meanwhile, Goku and the mermaid princesses found that the Pearl Hotel was damaged during Gaito's assault and thus the celebration was put to a halt. However, with his immense strength, Goku helped the construction workers in restoring the building to its former glory and the Pearl Hotel was quickly back in business. Goku also decided to help in reconstruction of the rest of the city before he had to depart to The World Martial Arts Tournament, which earned him quite a reputation among the citizens. There was still a lot of work to do, but he decided to spend the last two days helping the people of South City. The construction work was nothing to him, he has surpassed that type of training long ago, but it did earn him a few zeni and a lot of food to restore his strength, which the people around him found to be quite beneficial.

And now the time has finally come for Goku to depart to Papaya Island where the tournament will be held. Along with Hippo, Yuri, Gaito and all seven of the mermaid princesses, Goku departed in the airplane to the island. He preferred to use his Flying Nimbus to reach the island, since it was much faster than the airplane, but the others didn't had the privilege to ride a magical cloud, so he had to tag along with them.

Far away from South City, it was a rainy day on Papaya Island as fighters across the globe were already gathering at the sign up table to take part on this prestigious event. Three hours later, at the entrance of the tournament grounds, Goku's old friends started to gather round, waiting for others to arrive. Currently, Master Roshi and Launch were the only ones present, but they knew the others will come eventually. Soon enough, Oolong and Puar arrived, followed a few minutes later by Bulma, who wore a sleeveless purple dress for the occasion, along with few accessories. Again after about five minutes, a group of people with umbrellas of various colors that resemble a rainbow were starting to walk towards the group. The person with red umbrella was walking in front of the group, with all of their faces covered by the respective umbrellas. Bulma had a problem reaching out for the balloon of a little girl, but the man beneath the red umbrella took it for her.

"Hey guys." The man said before he looked at the blue-haired woman. "Here you go Bulma." The man said cheerfully.

"What? How do you know who I am?" Bulma asked in wonder as she took the balloon.

"Come on Bulma, it hasn't been that long." The man raised the umbrella and his face was revealed. It was Goku, who had a typical smile on his face, standing with Lucia holding his hand. Goku was wearing yellow pants with his standard boots, along with blue jacket and whitish-pink sash.

"Oh Goku, it's you! It's great to see you again." Bulma smiled brightly.

"What?! No way!" Oolong and Puar exclaimed in shock and surprise.

"Is that really Goku?" Launch asked, just as surprised as Oolong and Puar. All three of them haven't seen Goku in three years and they were completely surprised at how much he changed. Bulma and Master Roshi on the other hand were already accustomed to his manly appearance, most notably Bulma, since she did visit him occasionally in the past.

"Wait, are you really Goku?" Oolong asked, still unable to grasp Goku's drastic change.

"Come on Oolong, don't be silly, of course it's me." Goku smiled.

"Yup, that's Goku alright. I was just as surprised when I first saw him, but I couldn't believe how much he changed." Bulma smiled as he explained to Launch, Oolong and Puar. Roshi nodded in confirmation.

"Same here, it's simply amazing how he changed so drastically in three years." Roshi smiled. Then Goku felt how rain drops were hitting weakly on his umbrella.

"Great, it looks like the rain is starting to let up, maybe we will see the sun after all." Goku smiled. Soon enough, the rain stopped and the group behind Goku closed their umbrellas.

"Oh wow, so you must be famous Bulma Briefs?! I heard so much about you! Wow, you look even more gorgeous in person, how do you even do that?!" Hanon said in excited fangirl voice.

"Hanon, please, control yourself or you will pop from all that excitement." Rina chuckled a little. "Please excuse Hanon if she is being rude or anything."

"Nah, it's okay." Bulma smiled at Rina before she turned to Goku. "So Goku, aren't you going to introduce us to your new friends?"

"Yeah, of course." Goku said cheerfully.

"Wady!" The little girl whined below them. "Bawoon!" The girl said. Bulma remembered that she still had a balloon in her hand.

"Oh yeah, here you go." Bulma smiled to the little girl, giving the balloon to the girl.

"Thank you." The girl said cheerfully, returning Bulma's umbrella and cheerfully running back to her parents.

"Oh wait, what about Krillin and the others? Haven't they arrived yet?" Goku asked.

"No, they haven't, they are probably on their way here as we speak." Master Roshi said.

"Ugh, they only had three years to get here." Bulma groaned in annoyance and slight frustration. Then suddenly, Goku sensed four power levels fast approaching.

"They're here." Goku smirked.

"Who's here?" Bulma asked curiously. But before they could question Goku further for his out of the blue statement, four blurs faster than the wind suddenly formed behind Master Roshi and the others. The group in front of Goku smiled brightly when they saw their old friends finally arriving.

"They made it!" Launch smiled brightly.

"Alright! It's about time." Bulma smiled brightly. Four fighters that the group have been waiting for have finally arrived: Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu.

"Hey!" Krillin greeted the group cheerfully.

"Yamcha!" Puar said cheerfully, immediately flying towards her master, and hugged him.

"Man, you'd think we've been gone for a long time or something." Krillin joked.

"It has been a long time master." Tien bowed his head in respect to Master Roshi, to which the old veteran nodded to return the gesture. Then Krillin approached his former teacher.

"I know you can't believe it master, but it's true. I've gotten a lot taller since you last saw me." Krillin smiled.

"Krillin, you look great." Goku said cheerfully. "This is wonderful, we're all together again." He said cheerfully. Krillin was a little confused by the unknown, tall man in front of him, but it didn't take him long to recognize the spiky-haired person.

"G-Goku? Is that you?" Krillin asked in wonder, simply dumbstruck at how much Goku changed.

"Yeah." Goku nodded. Krillin started to laugh in immense joy, remembering what Goku did for him in the past as he proceeded to hug him tightly.

"Oh Goku, it is you! I missed you! Oh this is great, I never got the chance to thank you!" Krillin said happily before he broke the hug. "They told me how King Piccolo's goon killed me, but you brought me back. You are incredible Goku, I just don't know what to say."

Goku looked at him innocently before he smiled.

"I'm just happy you're back." Goku said.

"It's good to be back, thank you." Krillin smiled.

"That's Goku? I can hardly believe it, he's grown up so much." Yamcha said in surprise.

"Yes, and his power must have grown as well." Tien smiled.

"He was strong, but now he must be invincible." Yamcha smirked.

"This should be an interesting tournament." Tien smirked, excited to get the show on the road, confident in his training. Yamcha shared the sentiment as he nodded in agreement.

"I can't wait to show him what I've learned in past three years as well." Yamcha said confidently.

In that moment, Krillin saw seven girls standing behind Goku.

"Hey Goku, who are all these girls behind you? Are they your entourage or something?" He asked curiously before he smiled brightly. "They all look really gorgeous!"

"Oh them? Gosh, I kinda forgot about them." Goku said, looking up as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Goku!" Lucia, Hanon and Rina frowned in frustration. Goku yelped in fright at their angry expressions.

"Whoah, I was just kidding, easy." Goku laughed nervously before he turned to his old group. "Everyone, I would like for you to meet my new friends that I met in South City." Goku smiled, taking a few steps backwards and stopped right next to Lucia. "This is my girlfriend, Lucia."

"A girlfriend?" Krillin asked in surprise, but then he smiled. "Wow, didn't see that one coming." He then took a few steps forward. "Hello Lucia, my name is Krillin."

"Nice to meet you Krillin." Lucia shook hands with Krillin before breaking the handshake. "Goku told me a lot about you, he said you were his best friend." Lucia smiled. Krillin was rather surprised and touched that Goku thought about him like that. He was sure blessed to have a friend like him.

"Yeah, the feeling is mutual. We have known each other since we were training together with Master Roshi." Krillin smiled. Then Goku took a few more steps back to introduce the other mermaid princesses.

"This is Hanon."

"Hi everyone." Hanon said cheerfully.

"Rina."

"Hello." Rina smiled.

"Karen."

"Nice to meet you." She smiled.

"Noel."

"Hello everyone." Noel bowed her head in respect.

"Coco."

"Pleasure to meet you all." Coco smiled brightly.

"Sara."

"Greetings." Sara said respectfully.

"Hippo."

"Hi." He waved his hand.

"Yuri."

"Pleased to meet you."

"And… hmm?" Goku looked behind the mermaids, wondering where Gaito could be. "Hey Gaito, where are you?" Goku asked. Gaito appeared from behind the mermaids with folded arms, turned towards the street, completely uninterested in socializing.

"Fine, I'm here." Gaito said in frustration.

"And this is Gaito. He also tagged along to watch the tournament." Goku smiled, but Gaito huffed through his nose in response.

"Well, looks like someone is in a foul mood." Yamcha said, frowning slightly.

"Yes. And if you haven't noticed, his energy is dark, more or less." Tien said to Yamcha.

"Yeah, you're right. Why would Goku hang out with someone like him? I'm sure he would notice that something is off about that guy." Yamcha asked curiously.

"I'll have to ask Goku about him later." Tien said.

While Tien and Yamcha were having a serious conversation about Gaito, Master Roshi had a perverted expression on his face and he was drooling in pure lust at the beautiful mermaids in front of him.

"Man Goku, I had no idea you had it in you." Master Roshi said in perverted voice as he approached Karen, sizing her breasts. "I'm pleased to meet both of you… I mean, you." He said. Roshi didn't had anything left to say as his own desires prevented him from saying anything else, imagining how he motor boats Karen's breasts. But Karen did not take the perverted scenario likely as Roshi only managed to aggravate her, having a tick mark on her head.

"YOU PERVEEERT!" Karen shouted angrily as she delivered a hard uppercut, sending Roshi flying in the air and landing a good distance away from the group, crashing comically on the ground.

"Wow, maybe you should enter the tournament yourself Karen." Noel smiled.

"Man, to think that perverted old geezer is a martial arts master. Ugh, disgusting." Karen gagged in frustration and nausea.

"That was our reaction when we first met him." Rina smiled.

"Boy did he made an entrance." Hanon smiled. Goku and Krillin couldn't help but laugh out loud by Roshi's antics, followed by Bulma. Lucia, Hanon and Rina couldn't help but join in. The funniest part about Roshi's lustful antics is that he always managed to get himself in trouble and find himself beaten into the ground with a hard punch or two.

"So, you are Lucia. I thought I never had the chance to finally meet you. My name is Bulma." She smiled as she shook her hand with Lucia's.

"It's great to meet you Bulma." Lucia smiled.

"Goku spoke a lot about you. I must say, you've made quite an impact in this goofball's life." Bulma said. Lucia couldn't help but blush a little, smiling gently as she looked down shyly.

"He also made an impact in my life as well. In more ways than one." Lucia said as she looked at Goku. Goku looked at her innocently before he smiled.

"I noticed. I'm so glad for both of you, I see you two will go the distance in your relationship." Bulma smiled.

"Well, I guess I should introduce you guys now." Goku smiled as he turned towards the mermaid princesses. "You've already met Bulma and Krillin, along with Master Roshi." Goku gestured before he carried on to the rest of the group.

"This is Launch and Oolong." Goku gestured to the two in orderly fashion.

"Yo." Oolong greeted.

"It's pleasure to meet you all." Launch smiled brightly.

"Yamcha and Puar."

"Hello." Yamcha said.

"Chiaotzu."

"Hi."

"And Tien Shinhan."

"Pleasure to meet you." Tien said.

"Tien Shinhan?" Lucia said in surprise. Then she smiled as she approached him. "So you are Tien Shinhan. Goku told me that you fought him in the previous tournament and won."

"Well, it wasn't really a victory, but I'm looking forward to have a rematch with Goku." Tien said confidently.

"So you must be Goku's girlfriend? This is totally a surprise, but I'm glad that he found a pretty girl like you to keep him company." Yamcha smiled.

"Thank you." Lucia smiled.

"Hey! What are you implying by that, Yamcha?" Bulma said angrily. Yamcha yelped a bit when he saw her aggravated like that.

"It's not what you think Bulma, I was just complementing Goku, I swear!" Yamcha said in nervous tone. But then the angry expression changed into a gentle smile.

"I'm just teasing you. I know you would never cheat on me, Yamcha." Bulma smiled. In case of Bulma and Yamcha, even though they had many obstacles in their relationship, the two of them remained faithful to each other. Despite Bulma's spoiled and rather selfish personality, her loyalty to Yamcha remained, even after she jokingly said she was occasionally looking for an upgrade. As for Yamcha, he decided to go the distance with Bulma. Even though the idea of being a ladiesman sounds great and he had many girls piling up on him, he explicitly stated to Bulma that he is hers and hers alone, no matter what the other girls said about him. Bulma also confessed her love for him, which is why the two of them are still together to this day and see how far their relationship will go.

Then, Master Roshi finally recovered as he was rubbing his chin from that mighty and comical uppercut from Karen.

"I've made hotel reservations for all of us, so why don't you all get comfortable and save your energy for matches tomorrow?" Master Roshi said.

"Great! Thanks Master Roshi!" Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu said in unison. Then Master Roshi turned to the mermaid princesses.

"But, I'm afraid I didn't count on ten of you to arrive with Goku." Master Roshi said.

"Don't worry Master Roshi, I got them covered. I'll go to the reception of the hotel where you rented the rooms and find some for them too. If nothing else, we will have a big sleepover." Bulma smiled.

"Awesome, then I guess it's all settled." Goku smiled.

Later that day, after Goku, Krillin, Tien, Yamcha and Chiaotzu have signed up at the booth for the tournament tomorrow, the entire group was strolling through the city on the island to reach the hotel where Roshi booked the rooms.

"Master Roshi, aren't you going to participate in the tournament this time?" Tien asked.

"I think I'll stand down this time and give you boys a fighting chance." Roshi said. Though he wouldn't admit it, Roshi knows that in his current state, his strength pales in comparison to the boys, who had intense training after three years. Even three years ago when he fought Tien, they were evenly matched, though Roshi knew he wasn't fighting with 100% of his full power, the power he used to blow up the moon. But now he knows for certain that he is no match for them, especially Goku, who managed to defeat King Piccolo in his prime and got exponentially stronger after three years of training with Kami at the Lookout.

Behind Roshi and Tien, Goku had a conversation with Krillin and Yamcha, reminiscing the old times, with Lucia ever lovingly holding his hand.

"Tien Shinhan looks so dreamy, who would have thought that he looks so hot?" Coco smiled.

"Yes, can't argue there, though Goku's friend Krillin looks kinda cute too." Noel smiled.

"What, are you into dwarfs now?" Karen teased.

"So what if I am? Besides, it's not the man's height you should be judging on, you know." Noel smiled.

"Yeah, I suppose you are right." Karen smiled.

* * *

The night quickly followed that day as the group settled themselves in their rooms. Bulma was successful in finding more rooms for Gaito and the mermaid princesses, some with three beds and some with two. Lucia, Hanon and Rina were resting in one room, near Goku's and Krillin's second room, Karen, Noel and Coco in third room, Master Roshi, Oolong, Hippo and Yuri in fourth, Bulma and Launch in fifth room, also next to Goku's and Krillin's, Yamcha and Puar in sixth, Tien and Chiaotzu in seventh and Sara and Gaito in eighth room. The mermaid princesses were asleep, while the fighters of the tournament were having their own mental preparations, except for Goku, who was sleeping without a care in the world.

A few hours later, only one in the group was still awake. While Sara was sleeping blissfully, Gaito stood with folded arms as he looked through the window at rainy night, watching the people passing by on the streets, almost as if he is waiting for someone to show up. Moments later, he decided to go outside at the entrance, where heavy rain and occasional thunder could soothe his nerves a bit. He noticed how a little boy was happily running towards the clock tower, until lightning struck the tower, with several boulders threatening to crush the boy and the mother protecting him. Then Gaito noticed a white beam of energy that destroyed the rocks into tiny, harmless pebbles. Gaito raised his eyebrow at who was their savior, but when he looked a little better, he saw a man with white turban and white cape with shoulderpads again. He immediately recognized the man to be the same assailant that nearly killed Sara.

"So he's here." Gaito said in low and angry voice. That man is none other than Piccolo, covered with faint aura of energy, pebbles around him disintegrating into nothingness as he looked at the building where the gang was blissfully sleeping. He took a few steps towards the building and looked above at the window where Goku resided, locating him with his ability to sense energy.

"Looking for someone?" An unknown person suddenly asked Piccolo. He looked down as he found a gray-haired man in black robes leaning on a wall with folded arms, glaring at him. Piccolo raised his eyebrow as the man walking towards him looked familiar.

"I was wondering when you'd show up. Though it would be a surprise if you didn't." Gaito frowned.

"And who might you be, bad boy?" Piccolo mocked in low, uninterested tone.

"Someone you should have killed while you had the chance." Gaito frowned.

"I can rectify that mistake right now if you'd like." Piccolo grinned maliciously as he clenched his fist. Gaito growled in low voice as dark aura formed around his fist, inches away from striking at the green-skinned freak.

"Be my guest Piccolo. I can't wait to teach you a lesson or two." Gaito smirked arrogantly. Then Piccolo's eyes went slightly wide as he recognized him, starting to crack up loudly, much to Gaito's frustration.

"What are you laughing at?!" Gaito exclaimed.

"Oh yes, you are that pathetic weakling who was at death's door when you fought Goku. What makes you think that I will be merciful like him?" Piccolo folded his arms as he walked to Gaito's right side, stopping next to him, looking at him at the corner of his eye.

"You will die either way, along with your friends. But you are lucky that Goku is first on my list of executions." Piccolo said.

"What, are you too cowardly to face me right now?" Gaito frowned, not averting his gaze as he continued to look forward.

"You are way out of your league bad boy and you know it. If we are to fight right now… you would die." Piccolo grinned sadistically. Gaito growled as he looked at Piccolo from the corner of his eye, begrudgingly remembering Goku's warning about Piccolo and his awesome power that exceeds his, which is why he decided to stand down, the aura around his fist disappearing, much to Piccolo's amusement. Then Piccolo looked up at the lightning flashing above and through the clouds as rain continues to fall.

"Enjoy on this beautiful night. It may be your last." Piccolo chuckled evilly as he departed, leaving Gaito fuming with anger, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in fury.

"If he fails to kill him… then I will… somehow. " Gaito growled before he departed back to the hotel for a much needed rest.

* * *

The night quickly passed and the tournament preliminary rounds are fast approaching. The entire gang gathered up at the entrance of the tournament grounds, where many participants and spectators alike were gathering in mass towards the arena where the main event will unfold after the preliminaries. Fireworks were shooting in the sky in opening act of the prestigious event that the entire world is eagerly waiting in anticipation to commence.

" **The preliminary round is about to begin! All contestants please report to the fighting arena at this time!"** The staff member said on his megaphone.

"Master Roshi, did you remember to bring my uniform along?" Goku asked.

"No young man, your old uniform no longer suits you, both in size and stature." Roshi said to Goku before turning to the rest of the warriors. "You have all surpassed my lessons, what you wear is your own. It's up to you now." Roshi said.

"Thanks!" Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu said.

"Good luck you guys, do your best!" Lucia waved her hands in the air cheerfully.

"Thanks Lucia, we will!" Goku said cheerfully as he waved his hand, going inside the building with his friends.

And so, the preliminary rounds have finally commenced. Thanks to Chiaotzu's interference, Goku and his friends were all placed in different sections so they wouldn't fight each other till the quarter finals, where eight of the strongest warriors will be paired up. As the fights carried on one after another, it was no surprise that Goku, Krillin, Yamcha and Tien managed to breeze through the preliminaries and proceeded to the main event. However, Chiaotzu was not so fortunate as he was pitted against a powerful, but dangerous adversary and lost. Much to Goku's and Tien's utter shock, Chiaotzu's opponent turned out to be Goku's old enemy. Mercenary Tao, returned to life as a fully functional cyborg assassin, bent on revenge against Goku and his former star pupil Tien, who turned his back on him. Tien had no regret abandoning the Crane School, stating that he doesn't share Tao's and Shen's ruthless and rotten ideals.

The preliminary rounds continued and Mercenary Tao was fifth participant to proceed to the quarter finals, along with Piccolo, under the alias of Junior. The seventh participant to successfully pass the preliminaries was a beautiful woman known only as The Anonymous, whom Goku and his friends had a rather bombastic first encounter before the fights began. The final participant, much to comical disbelief and shock by all the fighters present, the comically theatrical and clumsy oddball known only as Hero managed by pure luck or chance to reach the quarter finals of the tournament, with one of the unfortunate victims being Yajirobe, who had a mask on to hide his identity. A good thing as well, for he was a strong warrior in his own right, with one of his feats being slicing King Piccolo's son Cymbal with a single attack. For someone of his caliber to be utterly embarrassed by the likes of Hero was simply unbearable.

With preliminary rounds concluded, the eight warriors gathered to the blonde tournament announcer with sunglasses, who was a referee for every main event of the tournament since his career, especially in the last two tournaments where Goku and his friends competed. After he explained to the participants the rules of the tournament, the fighters were drawing slip of papers with numbers on them to determine who will fight who in rounds to come.

After a few minutes, the pairings were finished and they are as follows:

First Round: Tien Shinhan vs. Mercenary Tao

Second Round: Goku vs. Anonymous

Third Round: Krillin vs. Junior

And Fourth Round: Yamcha vs. Hero

And with pairings of the first four rounds concluded, the fighters had a half an hour break to recuperate from the previous bouts. Goku, Krillin and Yamcha decided to use the time provided and go to the gang waiting for them outside.

Meanwhile, Master Roshi, Bulma, Launch, Oolong, Puar, Gaito, Hippo, Yuri and all seven of the mermaid princesses gathered together to hear the new of Chiaotzu's injuries inflicted by Mercenary Tao.

"How is Chiaotzu?" Master Roshi asked.

"He's okay. His body is covered in bruises, but luckily there are no broken bones." Bulma smiled, relieved that Chiaotzu will pull through intact.

"Finally, some good news." Master Roshi said.

"Look, here they come!" Hanon smiled, pointing at the three warriors running towards the group.

"Goku!" Lucia said cheerfully, running towards Goku and lunging at him, hugging him tightly.

"Whoa, easy there." Goku laughed slightly, almost losing his balance.

"Congratulations Goku, you are going to the main event of the tournament, I'm so proud of you." Lucia said cheerfully before she looked at Krillin and Yamcha. "Congratulations to both of you as well."

"Well, this isn't the first time that we plowed through the preliminary rounds, but thanks anyway." Krillin smiled.

"Yup. This is actually the third time that we reached this far." Goku smiled at Lucia.

"Really? Well, congratulations anyway." Lucia laughed a little. Goku couldn't help but giggle childishly a little.

"Thanks Lucia." Goku smiled.

"It's a shame that Chiaotzu couldn't join you, but you have done well." Master Roshi said.

"Good job you guys." Bulma smiled with folded arms.

"My only concern is that guy who beat up Chiaotzu." Yamcha said.

"You might know him master, he is the Crane Hermit's younger brother, Mercenary Tao." Krillin said, much to Roshi's shock.

"What?! Did you say Mercenary Tao?! I thought Goku destroyed him!" Roshi exclaimed in shock.

"Apparently he survived the explosion and turned himself into a cyborg." Krillin said.

"And he said the only reason he joined the tournament was to kill Goku and Tien, and now he is about to fight Tien in the first match." Yamcha said.

"Goku, is this Mercenary Tao the same person you told me about before?" Lucia whispered in Goku's ear, while still clutching onto his arm.

"Yup, the very same." Goku smiled, nodding in confirmation before he looked back at Roshi.

"That is a problem. Tao is from the same house as Tien and therefore knows all of his fighting techniques. I'm afraid Tien is at a disadvantage." Roshi said seriously.

"There is nothing to worry about." Goku said light-heartedly, much to everyone's surprise, except for Lucia. "Tao doesn't stand a chance against Tien Shinhan."

"Wanna bet?" A person suddenly said from the right side of the entire group. A familiar, but unwelcomed visitor.

"It's the Crane Hermit." Krillin said in surprise.

"I can't wait to see your disappointment when my brother wins." Shen said.

"Where did you come from?" Roshi said.

"Seriously, people just keep popping in and out today." Yuri said in grumpy and annoyed voice. Shen ignored Yuri's remarks and looked at Roshi with ever present arrogant grin on his face.

"Let me give you a piece of advice Roshi, gather your boys and get out of town before it's too late, you will lose."

" _And I thought Piccolo was the arrogant one."_ Gaito thought.

"Now let's get one thing straight, these young fighters wear my colors out of respect, not duty. They have surpassed their training with the Turtle House. My boys have all grown up and are now independent fighters." Roshi said seriously.

"You expect me to believe they wear these lame rags by choice?" Shen said.

"Believe what you want, they chose to honor the Turtle House, but they do not serve it." Roshi said.

"That's right, even though it might be hard for you to understand, we respect our master." Krillin said, with cowardly Oolong hiding behind Krillin, faking bravery. Karen playfully elbowed Noel in silent tease, knowing Noel has taken a liking to Krillin, to which the dark-blue mermaid merely giggled in response.

"That only proves that you are dumb enough to follow an inferior leader." Shen grinned arrogantly as he turned his back on his rivals. This struck the nerve of Roshi's former pupils.

"Hey!" Yamcha stepped in, but Goku stopped him to prevent him from attacking Shen, knowing that fighting won't do anything at this point.

"My brother's cybernetic implants not only gave him a body, but increased strength beyond human potential. Tien Shinhan nor any of you fools can stand a chance against him. The fight was over before it began." Shen laughed arrogantly before he departed.

"Some things never change. That guy is still a jerk." Bulma said, folding her arms in frustration.

"That guy is all talk, along with his brother. The real threat lies elsewhere." Gaito said grimly, looking at Goku seriously. Goku nodded silently as he knew who exactly he is mentioning.

" **The matches will begin shortly. At this time, all participants are requested to gather at the main stadium."** The staff member said.

"Finally, it's time." Yamcha said excitedly. Goku, Krillin and Yamcha nodded to each other, ready to get the show on the road.

"Good luck, I'll be watching your fights, I can't wait to see how much you've all improved. But don't push yourselves too hard, you must know when to cut back." Roshi smiled.

"Okay!" Goku, Krillin and Yamcha said in unison. Lucia then let go of Goku's hand and stood in front of him, while Krillin and Yamcha departed.

"Do your best Goku, I'll be cheering you on from the crowd." Lucia smiled brightly.

"You bet." Goku smiled before he caught up with Krillin and Yamcha.

"Yamcha, Krillin, Goku!" Bulma called out to them.

"Good luck you guys!" Puar said.

"Thanks!" Goku, Krillin and Yamcha said before they left.

"There go the finest pupils a master could ever have." Roshi said, reminiscing the good old times when he was training the boys.

"Well, being a big pervert as he is, he did an excellent job in training Goku and his friends." Rina smiled.

"I would have thought he was crazy if I didn't see it for myself." Hanon smiled.

Soon enough, the rest of the group went to the fighting arena to watch the bouts unfold. Thanks to Bulma's simplistic idea, she made Launch sneeze into her blonde, vixen self and she scared the crowd with gunfire to clear the way for the front seats. Gaito, Hippo, Yuri and the mermaid princesses were caught off guard by such a sudden and drastic change in personality and appearance, along with her approach to the situation at hand, even having a slight sense of dread, but they followed her lead nonetheless. Meanwhile, Krillin and Yamcha were a little curious of Goku's laidback attitude towards Tien's fight with Tao, but Goku merely said that Tien is much stronger than Tao and that he will win easily. Krillin and Yamcha were not convinced, especially since they now know that Tao was Tien's teacher, but there was no point in questioning Goku further since he was adamantly sure that Tien would win.

And now, the moment has arrived for the fights to begin.

" **Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! The wait is over, we will now begin the 23** **rd** **World Martial Arts Tournament!"** The tournament announcer said on his microphone.

"Great view." Bulma said nonchalantly.

"Who needs tickets when you have Launch?" Roshi joked.

"Do they always resort to gunfire just to get the first row?" Sara raised her eyebrow, baffled by their rather unorthodox solution.

"Who cares, at least we got a clear view of the fights." Gaito smirked with folded arms. Sara groaned slightly in annoyance by his laidback attitude at this scenario, but in the end she shrugged as she turned her attention towards the event before her.

" **Your cheers validate the excitement surrounding us today, yet this is only a part of the incredible journey the fighters have endured to compete in this tournament! The preliminary round began with 72 skilled participants, which were reduced down to eight! Those few fighters that remained are truly the mightiest group of athletes in the world and they are here to entertain you, the loyal fans! Who will become our new champion?!"** The announcer said before he turned sideways, gesturing his hand to the entrance of the arena. **"The first match will be Mercenary Tao vs. Tien Shinhan, who may now enter the ring!"**

"Go smash that creep's circuits Tien." Krillin said.

"Sure thing." Tien said, raising his hand confidently. But Yamcha grabbed his hand seriously, silently telling Tien not to go overboard with his fight and accidentally break one of Tao's bones. Tien has long since passed that phase, but he nodded to Yamcha nonetheless to ease his concerns.

"Good luck." Goku said cheerfully.

"Relax, enjoy yourself Tien Shinhan. I won't kill you in this match, only wound you. I'll take care of both you and Goku after I've won the championship." Mercenary Tao said to Tien before he looked forward. "For now, enjoy the crowd's adulation."

As the two fighters were entering the ring, the crowd started to cheer them on, mostly Tien due to him being the champion of the last tournament.

"Go Tien Shinhan, I know you can win!" Coco cheered Tien on, waving her hands in the air. Launch did not take this gesture kindly, having a tick mark on her head.

"Hey! What are you cheerin on about?!" The blonde Launch asked angrily.

"What's wrong, are you jealous that I have my sights on Tien?" Coco teased Launch.

"You are about to have your sights on my bullet, you blonde bimbo!" Launch said angrily.

"You are blonde too, you know. So I guess that makes you a bigger bimbo." Coco narrowed her eyes in annoyance. But her face went slightly blue when Launch pressed a handgun on her forehead.

"What did you say to me?!" Launch said.

"Launch, knock it off already! We are here to watch the fight, not to solve your trigger finger problem." Bulma scolded.

"Bah. Whatever." Launch groaned, putting her gun down and folding her arms, turning her attention back to the match at hand. Coco sighed slightly in relief before she smiled, watching Tien's fight.

" **Let the first match begin!"** The announcer said.

And with a sound of a gong, the match between former student and former teacher has begun. And after a few word exchanges, the two fighters took their fighting stances. However, eversince the start of the match, neither of the two warriors moved an inch from their original fighting stances, having an intense staredown for about ten minutes. The crowd watched silently in anticipation at who would strike first.

" _Remarkable, Tien has a prefect defense. I can't find a vulnerable spot on his entire body. My brother was a little too thorough with your training, this is going to be harder than I thought."_ Tao thought as he tried to find the way to catch Tien off guard and finish him in a single strike.

" **Will one of you please throw a punch before we all fall asleep?!"** The announcer shouted impatiently. Though in truth, he pretty much spoke for the entire audience, who didn't wait for the quarter-finals to see two fighters staring each other to death. But that's when Shen decided to help his brother by communicating with Tien telepathically. Even though Shen's attempt of planting seeds of doubt in Tien's mind utterly failed, he can't help but remember his rigorous and brutal training with Mercenary Tao himself. However, it was enough for his concentration to have a slip and look at his former teacher in mixture of frustration and regret. This was the moment that Tao was waiting for as he immediately charged at Tien. But, unfortunately for the cyborg assassin, Tien instantly regained his fighting position and disappeared in a blur, delivering a hard chop behind Tao's head, making him fall down.

" **Wow, now that's more like it! The minute they moved, Tien Shinhan dealt his opponent a crushing blow! Amazing!"** The announcer said.

"Well done Tien, you've improved a little, you no longer trip on your own feet." Tao chuckled before he took his fighting stance. "Seeing as how you've grown up, I no longer have to hold back. Prepare for pain." He said as he charged for another attack. But as he threw a reverse roundhouse kick, Tien effortlessly blocked the attack, nudging his leg with just enough force to send him flying back, crashing on his head on the ground.

"Tao!" Shen exclaimed in shock. It infuriated him to no end that Tien, despite Tao's cybernetic enhancements, is toying with his brother like he was nothing. But while he was gritting his teeth in frustration, Bulma, Launch, Lucia, Hanon, Rina and Coco cheered Tien on from the crowd. Since the mermaid princesses knew he was Goku's friend, they shouted out their support for him. However, Tien didn't take any pleasure at all in humiliating his teacher like this. Even though Tao didn't had a shred of honor in his entire being, he still wanted to end the fight honorably in respect to his former masters for teaching him how to fight. However, his pleas for ending the fight honorably fell on deaf ears as Tao was adamant on his revenge, attacking Tien wildly with flurry of piercing attacks and kicks, but Tien dodged every single one of them without breaking a sweat.

"They are moving so fast. I can't tell what's going on." Lucia said, her eyes wide in amazement at Tien's incredible speed.

"That makes two of us." Hanon said, just as amazed as Lucia.

"Incredible. I only thought Goku was capable of being this fast." Sara said in amazement.

" _The feeling is mutual. Seems I was locked in that castle for far too long."_ Gaito thought seriously as he continued to look at Tien, just as amazed as the entire group near him. Even Yamcha and Krillin were surprised at how much Tien improved in three years of training.

"Man, Tien is fantastic. He is avoiding every blow that Tao throws at him." Krillin said in amazement.

"He makes it look easy." Goku smirked. In that moment, Tien grabbed Tao's hand in his iron grip to try to reason with him further. But Tao would not listen as he tried to free his hand, but Tien won't even budge.

"Try to understand, what I say to you is out of concern, not disrespect. You and your brother taught me how to fight, I am grateful for your guidance. I do not wish to see you lose in disgrace. Leave the right now." Tien pleaded. But Tao found his words extremely offensive to his ego.

"I'll rip your eyes out!" Tao exclaimed as he used his free hand in attempt of another piercing attack. But in swift motion, Tien locked Tao's hand behind his back, just enough to keep him subdued as he gagged and growled, trying to break free.

"You'd do this the hard way. Move." Tien said seriously, pushing Tao forward. The assassin tried to stop himself, but Tien was too strong.

" **This is a surprise. Tien Shinhan is attempting to escort his opponent out of the ring."** The announcer said. In all honesty, this was something that Goku and his friends never expected from Tien, but they were glad that Tien still had respect for his teachers, despite their terrible transgressions. Besides, Goku knew Tien had this fight in the bag and it was only a matter of time before Tien decided to end the bout.

But, Tao went desperate as his robotic hand fell off and flipped backwards, immediately sheathing his blade from his arm socket and lunged at Tien, dead set on killing him on the spot. Tien found himself almost out of bounds and he only had time to tilt backwards, but although Tao missed his killing blow, the blade reached Tien's chest nonetheless, leaving him with a long cut. Everyone in the audience was shocked at this unexpected turn of events.

" **Possession of a knife by Mercenary Tao. Tournament rules prohibit the use of weapons in the ring. Tao is disqualified, the winner by default is Tien Shinhan!"** The announcer said.

"Oh be quiet! I don't care about your match!" Tao shouted furiously before he looked at Tien, laughing sadistically. "As long as I can kill Tien Shinhan!"

"Yes, take your revenge, that's what you came here for Tao! Annihilate all of turtle hermit students, they don't deserve to live!" Shen supported his brother.

"Those dishonorable bastards!" Gaito growled angrily.

"Who do they think they are, deciding who lives and who dies?!" Rina said angrily, the sentiment shared by the rest of the mermaid princesses as they looked angrily at Tao and Shen, slightly growling in frustration. But the one that was hurt the most was Tien, with his anger continuing to boil within him. Although his physical wound was a mere scrape, his respect for Tao and Shen was utterly shattered now that he has seen their true nature, barely containing himself from breaking Tao in half. Tien ripped his shirt apart and clenched his fists in fury.

"What respect I had for you has now turned to pity, you have no honor!" Tien said angrily.

"You're mistaken, I have plenty of honor, the honor of killing you. That's it, keep your silence, my blade will finish this conversation." Tao grinned wickedly before he dashed towards Tien for the killing blow. "Dieee!"

"Oh no!" Coco exclaimed.

"Tien, look out!" Launch shouted. However, much to Tao's and Shen's shock, Tien managed to stop Tao's attack in his tracks, grabbing the blade in his iron grip, with Tao unable to even budge.

"I hope you didn't pay a lot for this toothpick." Tien growled angrily as he snapped the blade, throwing half of it aside. Tao was now dreadfully scared as he realized that he got more than he bargained for, with Tien slowly and furiously walking towards his former teacher, only inches away from snapping. But Tao quickly regained his composure and laughed, having one more trick up his sleeve.

"Did you really think I'd be so easily defeated?" Tao said defiantly.

"Admit it Tao! This fight is over!" Tien exclaimed angrily. But Tao was not convinced as his right arm fell off, revealing a barrel in his arm socket, much to Tien's slight surprise. Tao aimed the extended barrel towards Tien.

"I've been dying to use this one all day. Introducing… The Super Dodon Ray!" Tao said. "This new version far exceeds the original in its destructive power. Its lethal force incinerates anything it touches."

"Tien, get out of there, it's not safe! That ray, it's unstoppable! Tien!" Roshi called out for his former pupil, but to no avail as Tien stood as valiantly as ever, glaring daggers at Tao.

But while Tao was gloating in his supposed triumph, Gaito looked at Goku from the other side of the arena, who wasn't concerned in the slightest in this recent predicament.

" _Despite of the assassin revealing this secret weapon of his, Goku is still completely calm. He has been like this ever since the match started. Judging by his confidence in Tien's abilities, Tao lost this fight the moment he stepped into the ring."_ Gaito thought before he looked back at Tao. Though he kinda knew that all along, since Tien had the upper hand the entire time, toying with the assassin like he was an amateur.

"I've adjusted the ray to match your biological signature. There is no escape, no matter where you go, it will track you." Tao said.

"Go ahead! I'm not afraid!" Tien shouted furiously, determined to prove his point to Tao. Everyone except Goku and Gaito were worried that Tao would turn Tien to ash with his energy attack, but Tien remained as confident as ever. Toa happily obliged as he fired his lethal Super Dodon Ray.

"Enjoy! I hope it's painful!" Tao shouted out sadistically. Just as Tao's energy attack was about to make contact, Tien let out a mighty shout of invisible energy called Kiai that obliterated the blast in its tracks, with blinding light followed by the explosion. When the blinding light faded, Tao was left flabbergasted as Tien was left completely unharmed, even taking a few steps back in terror. But Tien had enough as he charged at Tao at almost instantaneous speed, lightly jabbing Tao in the gut with enough force to make him fall down unconscious. Soon the crowd started to cheer Tien's victory. Roshi and the rest of the group with him sighed in relief that everything turned out well.

"He did it!" Launch smiled.

"Excellent job Tien." Roshi smiled.

"Woohoo, alright Tien!" Coco cheered him on happily, along with the rest of the gang, except for Sara and Gaito, who smiled with satisfaction that the assassin was put to rest. At least for the time being.

" **It's alright folks, you can breathe again! Whoo, what a wild opening, just the kind of intensity you've come to expect right here at The World Martial Arts Tournament! Again, since Mercenary Tao used a weapon, he has lost the match!"** The announcer said before he hopped on the ring. **"Tien Shinhan wins the match and will go on to compete in the semi-finals!"**

However, although Tien won, he didn't find any satisfaction in it whatsoever, especially since he had to defeat a heartless and dishonorable brute like Tao, more so by the fact that he looked up to him, he was his idol and motivation to be an assassin like Tao. But now that he knows that the two brothers were beyond redemption, his decision to leave the Crane School was now more than justified. Had he stayed, then he would have been a dirty player much like those two rotten wretches and never turn to be a great warrior that he always imaged himself to be so.

Nevertheless, Tien decided to honor Tao one last time by carrying his unconscious body to the horrified Shen.

"Tien Shinhan performed as well as I expected. He finished Mercenary Tao with just one punch." Goku smiled, glad that Tien won and impressed at how strong he had become.

Tien then dropped unconscious Tao on the wall next to Shen.

"He'll be asleep like this for a few days. Take him home and never show yourselves around me or my friends again." Tien warned. Shen growled angrily at that.

"You traitor! You won't die peacefully, I assure you of that!" Shen threatened as he flew away with Tao on his shoulder.

"It's you who won't die peacefully, old crane!" Master Roshi said angrily, having enough of his bloody threats.

"The way you handled the Super Dodon Ray was amazing, I was really impressed!" Krillin said cheerfully.

"That's enough." Yamcha said in soft voice, grabbing Krillin's shoulder and stopping him from saying any further. "He needs to be left alone."

"Well, before we do that…" Goku stopped mid-sentence before he went inside to talk with Tien alone.

"Tien!" Goku called out for him, but Tien merely stopped, not turning around and remaining silent. "You have Senzu Beans with you, right? Why don't you go ahead and eat one?"

"I'm not hungry Goku, if that's what you imply. Now please, leave me alone." Tien said in low and somewhat sad voice.

"Just eat one. Trust me, that wound on your chest will disappear in no time." Goku smiled. Tien turned around, raising his eyebrow in confusion and curiosity. But Goku winked once before he left outside. Tien knew that Goku was hiding something, the beans he got from Korin do something more than fill you up for ten days. He took out one Senzu Bean from his pocket and looked at it in curiosity. He had no idea where Goku was going with that suggestion, but then again he was feeling kind of hungry, so he chewed on the bean and swallowed it. Much to his surprise, the cut he received from Tao was fully healed, as if the blow was never inflicted.

"Incredible. I didn't know the beans can heal you, as well as fill you up." Tien said, rubbing his right chest, the blade cut completely gone. Tien then smiled and looked at the doors leading outside.

"Thank you Goku." Tien smiled.

"Amazing. I never thought Tien would grow into such a well-tempered and powerful warrior. There is nothing more that this master can teach him." Master Roshi said, proud that he ended up being an honorable fighter much like Goku, Krillin and Yamcha. Tien's performance in the ring touched Coco's heart. True, he was really powerful, but the amount of honor and respect he showed to his former teacher, even though Tao had a lack thereof, really moved her heart and she started to take a liking to Tien. She only hoped she will have a chance to spend more time with him other than one time Goku introduced her to his old gang.

"Strong guy." Yamcha smirked.

"Fighting Tien won't be easy." Krillin said.

'Now it's my turn, I can't wait! This should be some match, I better stretch." Goku said excitedly, stretching his right and left leg.

"I'd be excited too if I was fighting a pretty girl." Krillin smiled.

"If she fights as well as she yells, I'm in trouble." Goku joked. Though suddenly, a woman known as The Anonymous appeared and she did not take kindly of Goku's remark. Goku turned around and stood up to greet the girl.

"Hello." Goku smiled, but the girl huffed angrily in return. Goku looked at her innocently in confusion, not knowing what is ticking her off so badly.

" **It's time to turn our focus to the second match in this exciting tournament! Goku, who nearly won the last championship, will go up against a female warrior, whose name has been withheld by request! This lovely lady proved in the preliminaries she can hold her own against the boys!"** The announcer said.

"Finally, Goku is up now!" Hanon said cheerfully.

"Woohoo! Go Goku, I know you can win!" Lucia cheered, waving her hands in the air happily.

"She is wasting her breath, Goku has this fight in the bag and she knows it." Gaito smirked.

"Well, it doesn't really hurt to support her boyfriend either way." Sara smiled.

"I suppose." Gaito said. But his smile disappeared and he frowned seriously as he noticed someone on the roof, watching the fight with great interest.

"Go ahead Goku, try to impress me." Piccolo said mockingly as he looked at the fight, interested to gauge Goku's level of strength. Even though his opponent was nowhere near good enough to get accurate measurement of Goku's power, at least he will get to see the glimpse of it.

" _Well, look who decided to show up. Now I get to keep my eye on you for any havoc you might cause."_ Gaito thought before returning his gaze to Goku and his current bout.

" **To accommodate the young lady's unusual request, we will refer to her as Anonymous throughout this match!"** The announcer said.

Roshi, Bulma, Oolong, Puar and Launch somehow recognize the face of this woman, but they couldn't tell at the moment who she is.

"Hmm. Is it just me or does this girl hold some kind of furious grudge against Goku?" Karen said, looking at the Anonymous curiously.

"What do you mean Karen?" Hanon asked curiously.

"Just look at her, she is fuming with anger. I have no idea why, but it's almost as if she is ready to go for blood." Karen frowned slightly.

"What? Are you saying she is going to go as far as Mercenary Tao did against Tien?" Lucia asked worryingly.

"No. I doubt that she will go that far." Karen said to Lucia before she returned her attention to the arena. "In any case, we are about to find out the reason of her seething fury." She said. This piqued Lucia's interest greatly as she looked back at the fight at hand.

"How could you?! So long as I live, I will never forgive you for this!" The Anonymous said angrily.

"I don't understand. We've never meet, I think you are mistaking me for somebody else." Goku said innocently.

"Don't be stupid, you are Goku, aren't you?!" The Anonymous exclaimed angrily again.

"I'd give five bullets to know what they're talkin about." Launch said with folded arms.

"She makes for a lovely warrior." Master Roshi smiled.

"Not with that mouth." Bulma said.

"That's right. Little miss emotional needs some attitude adjustment." Oolong said in annoyance of her raging persona that she is casually venting at poor, clueless Goku. As the drums continued to pound faster and faster, the start of the match was drawing near.

" **It's time now. You may begin!"** The announcer said. The warrior lady didn't waste a second as she immediately charged at Goku. The fight started pretty awkwardly for Goku, since he was basically dodging and blocking the woman's attacks with little to no effort, more curious about the reason of her anger rather than the fight itself. At least in this case. The woman was aggressively pursuing Goku across the arena, never stopping in her relentless assault. Then at one point, Goku jumped back to make some distance and try to get to the bottom of this rather confusing predicament.

"Have I ever met you before?" Goku asked innocently.

"You really know how to lay on a charm, don't you?! Of course we've met before!" The Anonymous shouted as she continued in her aggressive chase, throwing flurry after flurry of furious punches and kicks. "Are you that dense?!" She said as she continued her attack. "Did I mean that little to you?!"

"So that's it, Goku and that girl must have been friends once." Krillin said, slowly beginning to solve the pieces of the puzzle.

"If you don't mind, could you tell me what I forgot? So I can remember?" Goku asked innocently as he was running sideways, but his question infuriated the woman further while she was chasing him sideways.

" **These two seem to be arguing about something."** The announcer said.

"Yeah, I'll say. Just what is with this woman?" Rina asked curiously.

"I don't know, but I don't like where this argument is going." Hanon said, frowning slightly. Lucia was more concerned of the group as she too didn't like in the slightest where this was going, frowning worryingly at Goku.

"Have you forgotten the promise you made as well?!" The woman asked angrily as she continued yet again with her furious assault. Goku then jumped high in the air, with the woman immediately following suit.

"Promise? Did I promise you something?" Goku asked innocently.

"That's right, let me jog your memory." The woman said as she attacked in mid-air. The only thing Goku could do at the moment is perform defensive maneuvers once again.

"Whatever problem these two are having, one thing is certain, she is a good fighter. Her techniques resemble the style of the Turtle School." Master Roshi said.

"Really? Her fighting style is similar to that of Goku's?" Noel asked.

"Yup, there is no mistaking it. I can't help but have a feeling that I know this girl as well." Master Roshi frowned seriously.

"What I want to know is what kind of promise Goku forgot to make her so furious." Hanon said. Lucia was starting to be greatly worried as she had a feeling that this conversation will go in a direction she wouldn't like to go, her heart aching slightly at the thought. But after a lot of mid-air dodging, Goku and the Anonymous dropped on the ground, with Goku standing upright while the female warrior took her fighting stance.

"I know you're angry, but tell me what I promised you, please?" Goku said innocently.

"You're serious?! You really can't remember?! Fine, I'll tell you the promise you broke! You said that I would be your bride! YOU PROMISED TO MARRY ME!" The woman shouted furiously.

This out of the blue statement turned out to be a complete, utter shock and surprise for Goku's friends, letting out a squeaking yelp and their eyes bulged, never expecting for Goku to promise such a thing, or so they thought in those moments of shock. But the one that was shocked to the core out of them all was none other than Lucia, her heart shattered as she looked at Goku in total disbelief. Her body started to shake uncontrollably by the amount of shock she received from this woman's declaration.

"It… can't be. He… he promised to… marry her? How… how could he?" Lucia said in low, cracked and sorrowful voice, almost in a whisper. She then covered her mouth with her hand, taking a few steps back, with tears of sorrow, disbelief and shock flowing from her eyes. She just couldn't believe her own ears. All the blissful times that they shared, all the hardships they endured, it was all for nothing? For how long was Goku keeping this a secret from her? How could he be in a relationship with her when he already made a promise to marry someone else? So many questions raced through her mind, so many heart aching questions that only made her sorrowful condition worse. Then she started to sob and sniff, she knew she couldn't stay any longer as she ran away.

"Lucia!" Hanon and Rina exclaimed, running after her so she wouldn't do anything reckless. As for Goku, he received the Anonymous' words with little to no clarity. The woman merely huffed angrily.

"I'd think even you would have remembered that one." The woman said. But Goku was still really confused by the word "bride" as he looked to his right towards still perplexed Krillin and Yamcha.

"Hey Krillin, what's a bride?" Goku asked him innocently. But Krillin and Yamcha, along with Anonymous fell down on the ground with feet high in comedic fashion.

"Please, tell me." Goku pleaded.

"A bride? Roughly translated, it means your life is over." Krillin said in comical frustration before Yamcha grabbed him by his head and pulled him down.

"Goku, a bride is a woman who's about to be married." Yamcha explained.

"I think my definition is more accurate. It's the woman that you will live with for the rest of your life." Krillin explained in more detail. Goku's eyes went slightly wide as he remembered that his grandfather Gohan told him what marriage was, looking back at the woman before him.

"Live together? With you? When I said that, was I conscious?" Goku said in shocked voice. "How can I marry someone if I don't even know their name?"

"I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I'll be happy to tell you my name…" The woman said before she took her fighting stance. "… if you beat me."

Goku's shock disappeared and he smiled brightly.

"Oh, great! Alright then, are you ready for my attack?" Goku said cheerfully as he clenched his fists.

"Hurry up before I fall asleep!" The Anonymous demanded. Goku didn't hesitate as he immediately went for the win. He pulled back his clenched fist and concentrating just enough energy, he swiftly jabbed forward, sending a very weak Kiai attack which was too fast for the woman to see as she was sent flying backwards, slamming onto a brick wall near the spectators and falling out of bounds. Everyone in the audience, save for handful of warriors who can follow his movements, were left speechless as in a split second, the Anonymous lost.

"He's your student, what just happened? He clearly did not hit her." The announcer asked Roshi, who was left just as lost as everyone else in the audience.

"Goku is no longer my student, but he did something, he stuck his hand out at incredible speed. The force of which must have created a shockwave that threw Miss Anonymous out of the ring." Roshi explained. After a few seconds of unconsciousness, the woman recovered as she was slowly opening her eyes.

"Ugh, what happened?" The woman said in low voice, wincing in pain as she rubbed the back of her head for pain to subside.

"Just relax, give it a second. I'm sorry, that attack was designed to knock you out of the ring, not knock you out." Goku apologized as he squatted near the edge of the ring to check on her, going a little overboard with his attack.

From above the ring, Piccolo silently watched with great interest. He knew that Goku had won this fight before it even started, but he never knew that he was holding back a lot more power than he thought. He is yet to find out just how much he is actually hiding.

" _This guy's power is unbelievable. And to think I tried to beat him all those times in the past, I must have been out of my mind."_ Yuri thought in shock.

"I don't believe it, you completely knocked me off guard, incredible." The woman smiled as she climbed back up next to Goku. "I hardly thought it was possible, but you are even stronger than I remember."

"Well I won, will you tell me your name?" Goku asked. The woman couldn't help but frown a little in annoyance.

"You're impossible. I'm the Ox King's daughter, Chi-Chi." The woman now known as Chi-Chi said. Goku let out a squeaking yelp of surprise and shock, now fully realizing how much Chi-Chi changed from that tight suited little girl to a grown up and beautiful woman she is now. Krillin, Yamcha, Roshi and Bulma were equally surprised as Goku to find out how much she had changed.

"It is Chi-Chi!" Bulma exclaimed.

"Exactly." Oolong said, realizing her identity far sooner than the rest of the group.

Goku then remembered how he years ago mentioned something like that after he brought Master Roshi to extinguish the flames around the castle of Fire Mountain, only to obliterate the entire castle instead, along with the mountain itself.

"I remember, I did say it! It was back when we were children that I told you I wanted a bride!" Goku exclaimed in perfect clarity of the situation.

"I remember, I was there." Chi-Chi said as a matter-of-factly.

"But i… I don't think you understand, I thought bride meant something to eat." Goku said honestly. Chi-Chi looked at Goku like he was totally brain dead or something.

"Something to eat?" Chi-Chi said, simply having no idea what to say to this rather moronic statement. But her eyes started to get glossy as the realization of the situation caught up with her.

"Then the promise you made was a mistake?" Chi-Chi said in sad voice.

"Yes. I'm afraid it was Chi-Chi, I'm really sorry." Goku said in remorseful voice, rubbing his head as he tried to reconcile with her in some way. "Maybe if I knew what it really meant back then, i would have put more thought into it. And besides, I already have a girlfriend, for quite a while in fact."

Chi-Chi sad face turned to shock and slowly, the rage within her started to boil. Some hussy actually had the audacity to steal her Goku's heart while she was trying so very hard to gain his attention, let alone his love?

"You really are a great person Chi-Chi, but there is this girl that I met and I really care about her. Probably more than that. And it would be wrong of me to turn my back on her, I hope you understand." Goku frowned sadly. But then when he saw Chi-Chi gritting her teeth and clenching her fists in fury, Goku recoiled and yelped a bit as he braced himself, for a wild cat was about to be released from its cage.

"Poor Goku, it looks like he is actually going to get himself killed." Krillin said in slight terror of Chi-Chi's raging temper. Everyone in the audience didn't utter a word, even the announcer was a little scared of how things could turn ugly real fast. Chi-Chi continued to growl angrily, louder and louder as her anger continued to boil dangerously close to a breaking point.

But then, right when she was about to snap and lash at Goku for being so heartless, for putting her in this embarrassing predicament, for daring to forget about her and the promise of marrying her... the outburst never came. Slowly, tears started to flow from Chi-Chi's eyes, much to the surprise of Goku and everyone present. The rage was slowly dissipating within her, replaced with heart aching sorrow as she even started to sniff a little, barely trying to contain the dam of tears threatening to break. In all honesty, it wasn't Goku's fault that he forgot. They were children after all and it only figures that he would consider something as bride to be food. Although he was socially inept, that's for sure, his kindhearted and naïve nature, in addition to his immense strength, is what made her fall in love with him in the first place. This whole time she thought and dreamed she would marry Goku someday and have a happily ever after with him. But now that she knew Goku already has a girlfriend, she knew that getting all furious at Goku would be utterly pointless, especially since he confessed that he loves this girl that he mentioned. Goku didn't need to utter that word to make his point, as she never knew him to be so affectionate towards a girl until now.

She then smiled sadly, not averting her gaze as she looked down pathetically, but she didn't care. She slowly started to approach Goku until she was close to his face. Then she slowly made eye contact with Goku's.

"I wish you all the best, you big lug. Truly I do." Chi-Chi smiled sadly, with tears continuing to flow from her eyes, caressing his face with her right hand. "She is one lucky girl to have a goofball like you by her side and I know you will treat her well." Chi-Chi said with all honesty and compassion towards her love interest, or former one starting now. She closed her eyes as she turned towards the exit of the arena, but she stopped after two paces.

"Goodbye, my dear Goku." Chi-Chi smiled sadly before she departed towards the building, never to be seen again. Goku couldn't help but frown sadly a bit, rubbing the back of his head as he felt sorry for Chi-Chi. In his mind, even though he did said he wanted a bride, he never really meant of living together for the rest of their lives as at the time he truly thought it was food. He knew that she cares about him as more than just a friend, but even if he was to live up to his supposed promise, he never had the butterfly effect with Chi-Chi, not even in the slightest. The only girl to make him feel that way was no one else but Lucia, which is probably the reason why his bond with her is unbreakable, a mutual feeling shared by the mermaid princess herself.

But as he looked towards his friends in the crowd, he found that Lucia was missing, along with Hanon and Rina. At the same time the announcer recovered from the eerie silence surrounding the stadium and stood up on the ring.

" **Well, Miss Anonymous, I mean Chi-Chi fell out of bounds, which makes Goku the winner! He will proceed to the semi-finals!"** The announcer said. The crowd, excluding Goku's friends, started to cheer once again. But Goku didn't really care for the victory at the moment as he immediately rushed to his friends.

"Hey guys, where did Lucia go?" Goku asked.

"After she heard Chi-Chi's statement, she ran away." Master Roshi said as he frowned seriously.

"What? Where?" Goku frowned seriously as well.

"Goku, you better get a move on. I fear that Lucia might do something reckless if you don't go after her right away." Noel frowned slightly in concern.

"Noel is right. Go, there is no time to waste." Sara frowned seriously.

"Right." Goku nodded before he looked up in the sky. "FLYING NIMBUS!" He shouted to the sky. Soon enough, his faithful cloud descended near him. He immediately jumped on it and flew away at fast speed.

After a few seconds, Goku reached a large road leading to the market district. While he was flying, he noticed Hanon and Rina, panting heavily as Lucia ran too fast for them to keep up with her.

"There they are." Goku said to himself before he descended down near them. "Hanon! Rina! Where did Lucia go?! Tell me!" He said urgently.

"Why should we?! How dare you propose to that girl when Lucia is your girlfriend?!" Rina said angrily.

"I never thought you'd do something so vile, shame on you!" Hanon said angrily as well.

"But it's not what you think, I swear! Look, if we don't fight Lucia now, she might be in serious danger. So please, tell me where she went." Goku pleaded. Hanon and Rina felt like Goku doesn't deserve to be even near her, let alone tell her where she went, but he was right, who knows what Lucia might do in her current state.

"She went that way." Rina pointed in the direction away from the city.

"Hurry Goku." Hanon said, greatly worried for Lucia. Goku nodded before he flew on his Flying Nimbus to catch up to Lucia.

As for Lucia, from the tournament grounds she didn't stop running, crying loudly as tears poured from her eyes like a rain, her hand still on her mouth as she did her best to stop herself from crying, but the pain was too much for her to possibly bear.

"Goku! How could you?!" Lucia said in utterly sad voice. "How could you promise to marry another girl when I'm the one you love?!" She said, continuing to run back to the sea.

"Lucia!" A familiar voice called out to her in the distance. Lucia opened her eyes and turned around to see who it was. She looked to the skies as she saw none other than Goku on his Flying Nimbus.

"Lucia! I need to talk to you!" Goku called out from the skies.

"Stay away from me! You cheater, how could you?!" Lucia cried out as she continued to run away even faster towards the sea.

"Wait up! Lucia!" Goku called out again, but it was useless. Lucia already jumped inside the sea, swimming as deep as she can go, just so she could run away from him. Goku gritted his teeth as he now has to hold his breath to last possible moment to catch up with her.

"I can't let her get away, not a chance!" Goku said to himself before he jumped from the cloud into the sea with a splash. Lucia in her mermaid form looked back with teary eyes, noticing how Goku desperately tried to catch up with her.

"I told you to stay away! Go back, I don't want to see you again!" Lucia cried out as she swam deeper and deeper, but Goku was too stubborn to give up as he continued to swim after her. Lucia was now starting to worry that he might actually drown, since they were swimming in very deep waters.

" _Lucia._ " Goku tried to speak underwater, but his voice was mute as he immediately pressed his hand on his mouth, only managing to exhaust a lot of oxygen from his lungs. Fortunately, Lucia heard him somewhat and gasped worryingly.

"No! Goku, go to the surface! You will drown, please!" Lucia pleaded, even though she continued to run away from him, but at a slower pace. She really wanted to just get away from Goku, but at the same time, stubborn as he is if he keeps this up, he will drown for sure. Her worries grew as Goku's face started to go completely blue, reaching out his hand desperately to try to reason with her, to tell her what she heard was not true. But soon, he let out his final breath as what's left of his oxygen flew away in small bubbles to the surface and Goku was knocked unconscious.

"GOKU!" Lucia shouted as she immediately swam to his aid, hugging his drowned body tightly and pushing him to the surface as fast as she could. After a while of fast swimming, Lucia dragged Goku's body at the beach away from people. She assumed her human form so she could pull Goku's body with her feet away from the sea.

"Goku! Goku, wake up! Say something, I beg of you! Goku! Please wake up!" Lucia pleaded, shaking Goku's unconscious body, but he didn't even flinch. But soon, Goku's body started to twitch. He then shot open his eyes and instinctively turned to his left side, puking out sea water and coughing and gagging hard.

"Goku!" Lucia smiled before she frowned sadly, immediately going to his aid. "Goku, are you okay?" She asked worryingly. Goku continued to cough and gag hard, until he plopped on his back, letting out fast and heavy inhales and exhales as he tried to catch his breath, occasionally coughing.

"Goku?" Lucia said worryingly, placing her hand on his chest. But soon enough, Goku smiled weakly and slowly opened his eyes, getting up on sitting position, leaning his left hand on his knee and used his right hand to fix himself so he wouldn't fall on his back.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright." Goku smiled weakly, coughing slightly.

"You idiot! You could have drowned back there!" Lucia frowned sadly.

"Couldn't let you get away, now could i?" Goku chuckled weakly, slowly recovering his strength. But Lucia closed her eyes and stood up, with few tears again forming in her eyes. Goku looked at her innocently in turn.

"You should have, because now you have your future wife waiting for you at the tournament." Lucia said in cracked and heartbroken voice, frowning sadly as she stared towards the sea.

"No Lucia, it's all a big misunderstanding, that's why I was trying to talk to you." Goku said as he immediately stood up and went in front of Lucia, who turned her attention to him. "I can explain everything, just hear me out, that's all I ask. Please?" Goku pleaded with cupped hands and gentle smile. Lucia knew that when Goku of all people started to plea like this, she knew he indeed had a good explanation, much like he had with King Piccolo way back during Valentine's Day. Lucia silently nodded and just like before, the two of them sat down on the sand.

"Look, I did said before I wanted a bride, but that was way back when we were children and I had no idea it actually meant living together forever. That was years ago, quite a while before we first met, back at the Fire Mountain where the flames were enormous." Goku smiled as he started having flashbacks of those moments. "The reason why we even went there is because there was a Dragon Ball in the castle at the top of the mountain. Since we couldn't put it out, Master Roshi came and extinguished the flames, even though he did blew up the mountain itself with his own Kamehameha Wave." Goku chuckled a little as he remembered how Master Roshi's muscles bulged considerably, unleashing a Max Power Kamehameha Wave at the Fire Mountain, obliterating it on the spot. Then flashbacks followed at how Goku sat in the car given by the Ox King, having a conversation with kid Chi-Chi.

"Chi-Chi mentioned something about having a bride back then, but I didn't really know what it meant, so I didn't see why not." Goku looked up at the sky before he looked at Lucia. "But when she explained to me what it really meant, I told her that I couldn't make up on my promise. I told her that you were my girlfriend and it would have been wrong for me to turn my back on you, that you were the one I cared about. And that's the truth Lucia, I hope you believe me." Goku smiled.

Goku's words warmed Lucia's heart immensely, surprisingly even healing the wounds in her heart that he himself indirectly inflicted upon. Then again, that kind of promise wouldn't really count since first of all they were small children, and second he had no idea what it actually meant.

"Is… is that really true Goku?" Lucia said hopefully, blushing red as she looked innocently at Goku with eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes. And I meant every word I said to Chi-Chi about you." Goku said with his signature smile. Lucia was now greatly relieved, but feeling guilty for doubting Goku in the first place. She then bowed her head down, smiling gently and sniffing a little, but this time in pure happiness.

"Umm, Lucia?" Goku asked innocently, slightly worried that he didn't make her cry again. But he didn't expect that Lucia would suddenly lunge at him, hugging him tightly and burying her face on his chest.

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you Goku. I should have known better, I hope you can forgive me." Lucia said sadly.

"Hey, it's okay. Of course I forgive you." Goku smiled, reciprocating the hug. He had no idea if she was crying out of happiness or sorrow, but either way it breaks his heart to see her like this and he would do anything to see her happy again.

"It's just, when I heard her statement that you promised to marry her, my hopes and dreams were shattered. I thought I lost you for good." Lucia said in low voice before she smiled sadly, her eyes connecting with Goku's. "But after hearing your words, that you actually called me your girlfriend, my heart melted in happiness. I'm truly blessed to have someone like you." Lucia smiled. Goku looked at her innocently before he smiled again.

"I'm glad you feel that way. I'm sorry I made you cry in the first place, I was just as surprised by Chi-Chi's statement as you were." Goku smiled. To finalize their reconciliation, Lucia leaned closer and kissed Goku on the lips. Goku already got used to this and he really liked it, it felt amazing. He too closed his eyes and reciprocated the kiss, making Lucia blush more. But after a few seconds which felt like eternity of pure bliss, the couple broke the kiss and looked at each other, Goku with his trademark bright smile and Lucia with a loving look on her face.

"Now what do you say we head back to the tournament? Krillin is about to fight in the third match." Goku smiled brightly. Lucia wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled brightly.

"Sure. You would dishonor your best friend if you are not there to cheer him on." Lucia smiled as she stood up, along with Goku.

"Alright then, let's go." Goku smiled before he looked to the skies. "NIMBUS!" he called out to his cloud again. The nimbus cloud descended near them and both of them headed back to the tournament before the bout begins. While they made their way back, Hanon and Rina have already returned to their comrades. With Nimbus' great speed, Goku and Lucia have reached the tournament grounds in a few short minutes.

" **Let's begin our third match, next up is Krillin and Junior!"** The announcer said, with the crowd cheering for the fight to begin.

"Good luck Krillin." Yamcha smiled.

"Thanks." Krillin said as he was warming up before the fight.

"Krillin!" Someone called out for him. Yamcha and Krillin turned to find Goku with Lucia entering the building.

"Hey Goku, what's the matter, is something wrong?" Krillin asked him curiously.

"It's nothing, don't worry." Goku smiled before he frowned seriously. "I just wanted to give you a head's up. Your opponent in this match is no ordinary warrior."

"How so?" Krillin asked.

"Trust me, just keep your guard up, okay?" Goku said seriously. Krillin had no idea what got Goku all worked up, but it didn't really boosted his resolve now that he knows that Junior is far more imposing than he thought.

"Sure." Krillin nodded before he went to the ring. "Great, now I don't really feel like fighting right now." He said to himself, having a bit of nausea, but he quickly suppressed it. He trained way too long and hard to chicken out at the last minute.

"Goku, are you sure it's okay for me to be here? Because i am not a participant." Lucia asked Goku.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they won't mind." Goku smiled before he headed with Yamcha to cheer on his friend, followed by Lucia and soon after, Tien Shinhan, who finally got a grip and went to cheer Krillin as well.

While they were waiting for the fight to start, Karen, Noel, Coco and Sara have briefly explained to Hanon and Rina that what happened with Goku and Chi-Chi was all a huge misunderstanding, telling them what Goku told to Chi-Chi. At first they wouldn't believe it, but when even Gaito gave them a nod of confirmation, they felt bad of doubting Goku's innocence, but glad that Lucia remained his girlfriend.

After Krillin entered the ring, Piccolo, aka Junior glided from the roof of the building and hovered to the ring with folded arms and everpresent, arrogant smirk on his face.

"Well Noel, looks like we are about to witness how strong Goku's best friend really is." Karen smiled with folded arms. Noel couldn't help but giggle cutely, since she knew her sister is deliberately teasing her.

"Indeed we will." Noel smiled to Karen before she looked at the ring.

"What a show off." Krillin said.

"I'm waiting, attack at your leisure." Piccolo said arrogantly.

"Oh, I'll attack, don't worry. And when I do, you'll wish you had never entered this ring." Krillin smiled confidently. Little did he know that the opponent before him was none other than King Piccolo reincarnated. Other than Goku, Gaito, Hippo and the mermaid princesses, no one else knew of his true identity. Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu didn't exactly knew that he was _the_ King Piccolo, but they deduced that he was his henchmen instead. Either way, Goku told them to keep that information a secret, so they wouldn't upset everyone else and start trouble. At least for the time being. And so, the two fighters agreed and decided to honor Goku's request.

However, despite of their agreement, aside from Krillin, who was more focused on defeating his opponent, Goku, Master Roshi, Tien and Yamcha sensed a lot of power radiating from Piccolo. Even Goku was surprised at how strong he had become during their first encounter.

"Say what you will, little man. You are still a loser." Piccolo taunted, which infuriated the bald headed warrior.

"We'll see who loses!" Krillin said angrily as he raised his clenched fists in the air before he lowered them to his sides. Then, after a few seconds of intense staredown, Krillin fired two energy blasts from his hands.

"That's it?" Piccolo shrugged nonchalantly as he casually flew up in the air to dodge Krillin's blasts. But he didn't know that those two energy attacks were homing blasts, immediately turning their direction upward, aimed directly at their target. Piccolo immediately retaliated as he fired eye beams to destroy the blasts before they would make contact, smirking. But he was caught off guard as Krillin immediately went on the offensive, delivering a hard punch on Piccolo's face, sending him flying backwards.

"Incredible!" Goku cheered happily. Even Yamcha, Tien and Master Roshi were greatly surprised how Krillin handled such an assault brilliantly. Krillin repeatedly flipped forward before he landed back at the ring, his sights immediately fixed at his opponent, while Piccolo hovered in the air.

" **Phenomenal, Junior has regained his composure and now hovers above the stadium."** The announcer said.

"You are not as pathetic as I thought, this might be fun yet." Piccolo smirked, rubbing his cheek before he flew down at fast speed. Krillin sidestepped as he watched Piccolo landing on the ring casually.

"Darn, I didn't even damage him." Krillin said. But Krillin was far from over as he immediately charged at Piccolo, who he knows as Junior. Piccolo sidestepped to dodge his charge, but Krillin immediately followed, throwing a flurry of punches, which Piccolo easily blocked every single one. When they were close to the edge of the ring, they jumped in the air in opposite direction. But Piccolo was slightly annoyed by his persistence, so he kicked him in the face, sending him flying out of the ring.

"Krillin!" Launch called out for them.

"Oh no." Noel gasped slightly.

"Not good." Yamcha said.

"He is going to fall out of bounds!" Goku exclaimed in worry.

"Huh, loser." Piccolo smirked arrogantly. But much to his surprise, using his energy, Krillin managed just in time to stop himself from touching the ground outside the ring and began to hover in the air, rubbing his slightly throbbing cheek and wiping a drop of blood from his mouth.

"Amazing. He learned the flying technique." Roshi said.

"Not bad Krillin, good work." Launch smiled. Noel sighed in relief and smiled again, relived that Krillin got back into the fight as he hovered and landed on the ring.

"Nice Krillin, when did you master that move?" Tien smiled, glad that he learned flying ability that practically saved his match.

"Yeah! Way to go Krillin, perfect!" Goku cheered his friend.

"Nice move Krillin!" Lucia cheered him as well. At the same time, Piccolo landed back on the ring to continue his fight.

" **I think I speak for the entire audience when I say how unbelievable that was, just amazing!"** The announcer said. The people in the audience were greatly baffled at how they are able to even fly like that, not even uttering a word as they silently continued to watch the bout. As for Piccolo, he let out a muffled chuckle of amusement.

"I must admit, you've surprised me. Your moves and techniques are adequate, for such a limited mind, I congratulate you." Piccolo smirked arrogantly. "Forgive my bias, I see now that I can afford to show you, a little."

"What do you mean? A little of what?" Krillin frowned seriously.

"Just a small fraction of my real power." Piccolo said as he clenched his fist. Krillin merely laughed as he knew in his mind that Junior was bluffing.

"Only a fraction, is it? Okay, let's see it." Krillin smiled confidently as he took his fighting stance.

"This is gonna hurt a little bit, but rest assured I won't kill you." Piccolo grinned maliciously.

" _Not yet. But sooner or later you will interfere with my plans for world domination. And that's when Ill strike… and you will cease to exist!"_ Piccolo thought before he finally decided to amp up his power level a bit.

And so, with Piccolo slowly and silently raising his energy, the weather behind him started to change as black storm clouds with occasional lightning and thunder started to form, backing up his already fearsome frame, which startled Krillin inwardly.

" _His power, it's unreal. He must be exponentially strong if his power can take an effect on the weather of the world, and this is only a fraction."_ Gaito thought as he looked at the fight.

" _What in the world is he going to do?"_ Krillin thought as he raised his guard, waiting for Junior's next move. Then Piccolo raised his hand high in the air above him as the storm clouds continued to form, making their way towards the arena. But Krillin was caught by surprise as Piccolo stretched his left arm and quickly grabbed Krillin's leg.

"What?!" Goku exclaimed in surprise.

"Krillin, move!" Tien shouted. But it was far too late as Piccolo retracted his arm and simultaneously punched Krillin in the face, sending him flying to the stone wall near Goku, Lucia, Yamcha and Tien. But Piccolo was surprised again as Krillin bounced off the wall and immediately charged again. Piccolo ducked below to dodge Krillin's punch and using both of his legs, he kicked him and sent him flying high in the air.

"You should have quit while you had the chance." Piccolo said as he followed after Krillin.

" _This will be my last chance, I better make it count."_ Krillin thought in pain before he composed himself, cupping his hands to his sides.

"Kaaa… Meee… Haaa… Meee…"

"It's over Krillin!" Piccolo said. But before he could even hit Krillin…

"HAAAAAA!" He fired a Kamehameha Wave right in Piccolo's face.

"It worked!" Yamcha cheered.

"Krillin did it, he won!" Lucia cheered.

"I don't think so." Goku said seriously, making Lucia and Yamcha look at Goku curiously. As the Kamehameha Wave dissipated, much to Krillin's surprise, it was revealed that Piccolo used the Afterimage Technique to counter Krillin's energy attack.

"Where did he go?!" Krillin exclaimed in surprise.

"Krillin, look out! Behind you!" Goku shouted out, but it was too late.

"Looking for me?" Piccolo said, grinning maliciously as he delivered a double axe handle right on Krillin's head, sending him spiraling down like a torpedo, crashing into the ring and bounced once before he fell down, leaving himself completely incapacitated. Goku, Lucia, Yamcha, Bulma and Noel gasped slightly in shock as Krillin was seemingly knocked unconscious after that surprise attack.

"Krillin!" Master Roshi frowned worryingly. Soon after, the storm clouds started to dissipate as Piccolo descended back to the ring, standing sideways as he looked at his defeated opponent.

"How disappointing, I didn't want to kill him. Not before breaking every bone in his body." Piccolo clenched his fist as he looked at Krillin. But, his disappointment was replaced with shock and surprise as Krillin regained consciousness, slowly standing up.

"I-Impossible!" Piccolo exclaimed in surprise. He had no idea that the runt that got killed so easily in the past by Tambourine, his father's underling, could become this strong and extremely resilient.

" **Krillin is back on his feet! Brace yourself, for it seems this fight isn't over yet!"** Announcer said in amazement. But unfortunately, Krillin spent nearly all of his energy unleashing the Kamehameha Wave and enduring Junior's surprise attack, falling down on his butt as his legs gave it, chuckling slightly.

"That's better. I'm done." Krillin smiled, knowing that it won't do any good to keep fighting in his drained state.

" **After showing more stamina that any fighter could hope to muster, Krillin has decided to stand down, therefore in tournament guidelines, Junior wins the match!"** The announcer said.

Soon afterwards, Goku ran towards Krillin to help him stand.

" **Although he lost, Krillin's skill and bravery has given us one of the most breathtaking performances ever seen in this ring!"** The announcer complemented Krillin.

"You were really awesome out there Krillin, that was an amazing match. You've really gone a long way in three years of training." Goku smiled brightly, proud of his progress and unwavering resolve.

"Yup, but the only thing missing was the win." Krillin smiled. Goku then helped him stand up, slowly trudging back inside the building. Everyone in the crowd, including their friends, cheered Krillin for his spectacular performance against Junior.

"Way to go Krillin, now that's what I call self-improvement. The journey you've made since arriving at my island is amazing." Master Roshi smiled proudly, reminiscing the time when Krillin arrived on his island all those years ago, asking him to be his pupil along with Goku. _"You should feel proud Krillin. I certainly am."_ Roshi thought. Although Krillin lost the match, the turtle hermit was still immensely proud of his bravery and tenacity, despite of the insurmountable odds he faced.

"What a struggle, you handled it like a champion." Yamcha supported his friend as Goku helped him climb a few stairs. Bulma couldn't help but form a few tears of joy in her eyes, immensely proud of how Krillin turned into a brave warrior and glad that he finished the match in one piece.

" _Who would have guessed that little runt had it in him? Conquering this world may be more difficult than I thought."_ Piccolo thought as he was leaving the ring.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed. He may not be as strong as Goku, but he sure gave that freak a run for his money." Gaito smiled slightly.

"Indeed. I guess being Goku's friend has its benefits." Sara smiled.

"So Karen, what do you think? Not bad for a dwarf, huh?" Noel smiled cutely.

"Fine, I was wrong, rub it in, why don't ya?" Karen smiled in playful annoyance, with Noel giggling cutely in response. Much like Coco with Tien, Noel's affection towards Krillin was nothing drastic, but due to his show of valor and determination, it was just enough for Noel's emotions towards him to get a slight jump start, much like Coco's for Tien.

But Hanon and Rina were more surprised by Krillin's energy attack that he used on Piccolo.

"Unreal. Krillin also knows the Kamehameha Wave?" Hanon said in surprise.

"I thought that was a technique that only Goku knows about." Rina frowned slightly in surprise. Master Roshi merely laughed by their silly statement.

"You girls may not know, but the Kamehameha Wave is actually the technique that I invented." Master Roshi smiled proudly. The mermaid princesses, including Gaito, looked at Roshi in surprise.

"No way!" Karen said in surprise.

"You invented that attack?" Coco asked.

'Yup. But for fighters as talented as Goku, Krillin, Yamcha and Tien, pulling off the Kamehameha Wave was a child's play for them. It's quite an extraordinary feat, since it took me fifty years to master that attack." Roshi smiled proudly at his former pupils.

"What?! Fifty years?!" Hanon, Rina, Karen, Noel and Coco, Hippo and Yuri exclaimed in shock.

"Wait, how long it took Goku to master your technique?" Rina asked, still in shock of Roshi's statement.

"Hmm, about a day." Roshi said casually.

"Impossible, you lie old man! How is it even remotely possible for Goku to learn something in a day when it took you fifty years?!" Gaito snapped. Roshi frowned seriously when he looked at Gaito.

"Obviously you can't even comprehend how gifted of a fighter Goku is." Roshi said before he turned towards the ring again. "Even as a child, his fighting skills were incredible. And now he has reached a whole new level of strength and skill."

" _You have no idea, old man."_ Gaito thought as he too looked back at the ring, vividly remembering his fight with Goku and his victory after he regressed from his dragon form while the staff is finishing the repairs on the ring for the next bout.

" **Repairs on the ring are now complete! The stage is now set for our fourth and final match before the semifinals begin! If the last fight is any indication, this one should be a doozy. Let's turn out attention to the fighters!"** The announcer said. **"What makes this match so unique is the diversity of its players: Experienced warrior Yamcha takes on novice Hero!"**

Right on cue, Hero stepped into the ring, rubbing the back of his head with a goofy expression on his face. As for Yamcha, he was stretching for the next fight, even though he knows he will win in advance.

"Hey, I may have struggled to stay alive, but you need to struggle to stay awake." Krillin joked.

"You are just jealous, luck of the draw. This won't take long, I'll be back in a minute." Yamcha said light-heartedly, stepping into the ring himself. The crowd already predicted that Yamcha has this fight in the bag, even Bulma and Puar commenting that it will take only one punch. But Yajirobe, who was in the audience, knew that Yamcha in fact doesn't stand a chance against that "nerd" as he tends to call him, since he himself fell prey to his theatrics and lost.

" **Ready contestants? And begin!"** The announcer said. Yamcha took his fighting position while Hero took a rather awkward stance that made Yamcha snort slightly in laughter, even proposing for the silly goofball to attack first. Lucia couldn't help but giggle cutely by his silly behavior.

"This guy is so silly. If he was in a comedy show, I bet Rina wouldn't change that channel for the world. Right Goku?" Lucia smiled. But her smile disappeared when she saw him so serious, not taking Hero's comedic behavior even remotely funny. Even Krillin noticed this as he was sitting near them.

"Hey Goku, is everything alright? You've been so serious lately, you used to be so cheerful before." Krillin said, wondering what could have changed his usually laidback and cheerful mood.

"Sorry, I've been preoccupied. I have a strange feeling about Hero." Goku said seriously. Krillin looked at Hero, who was doing some random hand flailing up and down before he looked back at Goku.

"Don't worry, everyone here thinks he's strange." Krillin said.

"Goku, is there something about Hero that worries you?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Nothing like that, it's just… something doesn't seem right here." Goku said seriously, knowing that there was definitely something that Hero is hiding from everyone.

Lucia and Krillin then turned their attention back to the 'fight' at hand. Then Hero started to jump around Yamcha, flailing his arms in all directions and letting out weird, high-pitched Kung Fu voices. At this point no one took the fight seriously, not even Yamcha. While most of the crowd ridiculed Hero and laughed by his awkward display, including the mermaid princesses, most notably Rina, who considered this bout to be one of the comedy shows she watches on TV, the only ones who were rather serious during all this were Gaito and Master Roshi, who were not so easily fooled by his bumbling idiot routine. Then Hero started to charge, throwing a chop which Yamcha easily dodged, but Hero started to slip and accidentally kicked him in the ribs before he fell down face first into the concrete floor, much to Yamcha's great embarrassment and to the audience's immense humor. Yamcha was caught off guard with that maneuver as it actually hurt, gagging loudly in pain. This action put even more doubt of his clownish identity in minds of Goku, Gaito and Master Roshi.

" **In a moment of pure slapstick, Hero lost his balance, accidentally kicking Yamcha's side in the process. Who knew clumsy can be such an effective weapon."** The announcer said, laughing a little.

" _Hero. Nothing happens by accident."_ Roshi thought seriously.

"So you know." Gaito suddenly said from behind Roshi, prompting the old master to turn around. After a few seconds, Roshi nodded in acknowledgement of his suspicions towards Hero.

"He knows what? What is it Gaito?" Sara asked.

"That this 'Hero' is not the novice that he appears to be." Gaito frowned seriously.

"What do you mean?" Sara frowned slightly.

"Just think about it Sara. If what Goku said was true, then this event is where the world's strongest warriors compete to determine who will be number one." Gaito looked at Sara seriously before he looked at Hero. "And if so, then how is it possible for _this_ clumsy idiot to reach this far, all the way to the main event?" Gaito said. Sara said nothing as she looked back at Hero as well, who was chuckling nervously, apologizing to Yamcha in pure embarrassment. "He is merely putting on a show, hiding his true nature. Just wait and you will see for yourself." He said. Sara couldn't help but look at Goku, who wasn't too far away from the fight. Judging by his own serious expression, Gaito's statement might be true after all. All she could was wait for Hero to reveal his true self. Then Yamcha took his fighting stance, along with Hero.

But as Yamcha tried to kick Hero out of bounds, he somehow managed only to ram his crotch on his head, holding it with both of his hands, trying to make the pain go away, even jumping around a few times. Some among the crowd facepalmed or groaned in utter annoyance or embarrassment, but most of them got a good laugh from Yamcha's dilemma, laughing so hard that even tears formed in their eyes. The announcer couldn't help but also laugh, requesting from the crowd to applaud him for his supposed effort to beat Hero.

However, after a short banter between the two, the crowd's loud laughter quickly turned to silent shock as Hero decided to drop the act and deliver an extremely fast elbow strike on Yamcha's face, sending him crashing into the ground. Goku, Master Roshi and Gaito were also shocked by this revelation, but only slightly as they knew from the start that something was off about him and his assault proved it. The moronic comedian was no more and his true nature was revealed, that of a powerful, but cunning warrior.

"You were paying so much attention to my theatrics you never realized the subtle moves I was making. Didn't your master ever teach you, that you should never judge power by appearance?" Hero said in now more serious voice as Yamcha was standing up, cleaning off a drop of blood from his mouth. "If you take nothing else from this fight, remember the golden rule, perception is a great defense."

"I was right, it was all an act. I bet even his name is phony." Yajirobe said. He was indeed a skilled warrior, no wonder how he lost so easily in the preliminaries.

"I knew it, it was all a fluke, a tactic for his opponent to drop his guard." Gaito said seriously with folded arms before smiling slightly. "A rather ingenious, but cheap strategy."

"Who… is this guy? Where did he come from?" Master Roshi said.

Hero's words fell on deaf ear for Yamcha as he charged at Hero, using his trademark Wolf Fang Fist technique, but ultimately it proved useless as Hero managed to block every single punch.

"You forgot something." Hero said before he kicked him on the leg, the same leg that Tien broke in last tournament. "Never leave your feet unprotected."

But Yamcha was too stubborn to give up as he continued in his assault, but unfortunately Hero was too powerful an opponent as he managed to beat him into the ground one assault after another. But, Hero decided to subtly give away his own identity to Yamcha, telling him that he was an alien inhabiting a human's body, but he didn't even bother to listen to him, thinking he was a lunatic or something. However, Goku was writing mental notes, having a few guesses of who Hero might actually be, but he wasn't certain yet.

As for Yamcha, he had enough as he went immediately for his ultimate technique. Not the Kamehameha Wave, but something else entirely. He held his hand high and he started to gather surrounding energy into the open palm, placing the other hand around the adjacent arm for support, with yellow glow and occasional electricity forming around it. Soon enough, a sphere of yellow-orange energy formed in his palm, ready to be thrown at his opponent.

Lucia's eyes went wide in amazement. It was a similar technique that Goku used way back in the Mermaid Cave to light up the candles, only Yamcha's sphere was a little bigger.

"Spirit Ball Attack!" Yamcha shouted as he unleashed his energy blast. Hero managed to dodge his attack, but Yamcha's energy blast was controllable as he guided the sphere of energy around Hero, trying to hit him multiple times. Then Yamcha, in a supposed final attempt, guided the ball straight into the ground, with Hero dodging it yet again. But Hero was caught off guard as Yamcha's Spirit Ball drilled through the ground and hit Hero right on his chin, making him fly backwards. Goku, Lucia, Tien and Krillin were caught by surprise of his attack, but Roshi and the others cheered Yamcha.

"Yeah, alright Yamcha, that's more like it!" Bulma cheered happily.

"See ya, space nerd!" Yamcha said triumphantly.

Victory for Yamcha appeared to be a certainty as Hero was about to fall out of bounds, but right on time, Hero leaped from the edge of the ring right at Yamcha, catching him completely off guard as he delivered another elbow strike.

"Mind your step, young one." Hero said. But due to Yamcha using most of his energy into the Spirit Ball technique, he couldn't stop himself from falling out of bounds himself.

" **Yamcha has fallen out of bounds, therefore Hero wins the match."** The announcer said in confused voice of what just happened.

It was at that point that Goku finally realized who Hero actually is. Judging by his familiar behavior and unusually high power, he realized that Hero was actually Kami, the Guardian of the Earth himself.

" _That middle-aged man is actually Kami? What in the world is he doing here?"_ Goku thought.

"Goku, what is it?" Lucia asked in slight worry, breaking Goku from his shocked trance as he looked innocently at Lucia. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh nothing, I was just surprised that Yamcha lost, that's all." Goku said, laughing nervously. Lucia tilted her head a little in confusion, but this time she didn't wanted to be pushy, so she turned her attention back to Hero.

Although Roshi, Bulma, Puar, and Launch were a little disappointed that Yamcha lost despite his best efforts, they still complemented him for doing amazingly well, except for Oolong, who made sarcastic remarks for his loss. As for Bulma, she was immensely proud how he handled that match like a true warrior. He may not be a champion by title, even though he deserved to at least make it to the finals to attempt to reach that title, he will always be _her_ champion.

And thus the quarter finals have been concluded, with the semifinals slowly getting under way, with the first match being Goku vs. Tien Shinhan and the second match being Junior vs. Hero. Gaito, Hippo, Yuri and the mermaid princesses were left aghast by the tremendous levels of strength and skill shown during the fights. If the quarter finals were intense, then the bouts of the semifinals will be extraordinary to watch, let alone the final match itself. And with Goku fighting in the first match of the semifinals, the mermaid princesses, especially Lucia, waited eagerly in anticipation for the bout to finally commence.


	24. Chapter 24

~Good vs. Evil~

With the quarter finals concluded, the first match of the semifinals is about to commence, a long awaited rematch between Goku and Tien Shinhan. Goku was chatting with Lucia, joking and laughing while Lucia held Goku's hand lovingly and leaned her head on his shoulder. Piccolo and Hero were standing silently nearby, while Tien looked at the audience, more specifically at Gaito, who looked on with the other mermaid princesses, waiting for the bout to begin.

"Hey, Goku?" Tien asked with folded arms.

"Huh? What is it Tien?" Goku asked innocently.

"There is something I was meaning to ask you while we still have time to talk." Tien asked seriously.

"Go ahead." Goku said curiously.

"This Gaito person you brought along. Why does his energy feel so… evil?" Tien said before he looked at Goku. "I'm sure you sensed it by now. So why did he come with you in the first place?"

"Well the truth is, we fought him a few days ago. He was a really tough opponent, but it all turned out well in the end." Goku smiled as he looked at Gaito.

"We?" Tien raised his eyebrow curiously.

"Yeah, me and Lucia." Goku smiled. Lucia also smiled as she nodded in confirmation. She mostly remembers the positive side of that battle as it made the bond between them stronger than ever.

"What, really? Your girlfriend is a martial artist as well?" Tien asked curiously, surprised that Lucia was more than just a pretty girl. Goku merely chuckled light-heartedly.

"Well, it's kind of a long story." Goku smiled to Tien, rubbing the back of his head before he looked at Gaito again. "But to make it short, he was our enemy, but in the end, we managed to defeat him. After that, he decided to help us beat Piccolo's goon that entered the tournament." Goku explained. But during their conversation, Piccolo looked at Goku, Lucia and Tien and silently chuckled arrogantly, knowing all too well of whom Goku is speaking of.

"Is he really that powerful that Gaito had to ally with you? How do you know he won't turn on you when you least expect it?" Tien asked seriously, but Goku merely smirked as he looked at Tien.

"Don't worry, he won't. And if he does, I'll be ready." Goku smirked. Tien looked at him seriously before he smirked as well, nodding to Goku.

" **Attention semifinalists and audience alike, it is now time for the semifinals to begin! The first match will be Tien Shinhan vs. Goku! At this time, will both fighters please make their way to the ring?!"** The announcer said.

"Have a great fight Goku, do your best!" Lucia said cheerfully with a cute smile that always made Goku's heart flutter, something that tends to happen ever since his fight with Gaito.

"Thanks Lucia." Goku smiled, giving her thumbs up before he headed towards the ring with Tien.

" **The last fight these two were in is now legendary, that battle closed out the previous tournament and brought new meaning to the word 'stamina', with Tien Shinhan being the victor by a narrow margin! Both men have endured three years of training since then, so we can expect three times the power, three times the danger and three times the excitement! Get ready for some serious fireworks folks, because when these two titans clash, there's no telling what may happen!"** The announcer said.

"I assume this is going to be intense?" Goku smirked confidently.

"Of course." Tien said, as confident as Goku. But this time there was no hate or thirst for revenge in their eyes, this time the two warriors looked at each other with friendly attitude free of any murderous intentions. Tien nodded as they were silently telling each other to do their best in this fight and not hold back for the sake of their friendship. The two then jumped in the air, spinning forward and immediately took their fighting stances, which brought a loud, exciting cheer from the crowd as they were anxious for the bout to begin.

"Man, Goku is looking serious this time." Krillin smiled.

"I only hope they will not go too far with their fight, I don't want Goku to have a broken bone or something." Lucia said worryingly.

"Don't worry Lucia. Goku and Tien will both go all out, that's for sure, but they will never go as far as to inflict a permanent injury or something." Yamcha smiled to ease her worries.

"You think so?" Lucia asked as she looked at Yamcha.

"Yeah, don't worry, both of them will finish this fight in one piece." Krillin smiled light-heartedly, much to Lucia's relief.

"That's good to hear." Lucia smiled as she looked back at the fight at hand. Piccolo yet again overheard their conversation and grinned wickedly.

" _Don't you worry, little girl. Goku will have more than a broken bone when I'm through with him."_ Piccolo thought before he looked up _. "Until then…"_ He then hovered in the air and landed on the roof to get a better view on the fight, realizing that Tien will draw out more of Goku's hidden strength during the bout.

"This is going to be an exciting match, huh?" Goku said cheerfully.

"Definitely. But to be honest, I don't feel like I've won last time." Tien smiled.

"Nah, you were amazing back then. And now both of us can go all out with no interference or interruptions, right?" Goku said with confident grin.

"Right." Tien nodded as the drums started to pound at a slow pace.

"Tien! Go for the win, I know you can do it!" Coco cheered, waving her hands in the air, much to Launch's utter annoyance. Lucia noticed this and she pouted in frustration. Even though in this match Goku is fighting his friend, she still wanted for Goku to win. But soon enough, she let it slide this time as she smiled, returning her attention towards the upcoming bout.

" **Ready? Let the match begin!"** The announcer said. Goku and Tien didn't waste a second as they immediately charged at each other, their right fists colliding. Moments later, their left fists collided as well, followed by their right knees before they flipped backwards, with Tien immediately dashing forward and sending a flurry of punches which Goku easily dodged every single blow. Then Goku caught both of his fists and kicked him in the chin and in the stomach simultaneously with his right leg, sending him flying, but Tien immediately recovered as he fired a Dodon Ray at Goku. Goku managed to deflect the ray easily upwards where no one will be harmed, but Tien disappeared when he did. Tien reappeared above Goku and threw a double axe handle, which Goku dodged again, followed by reverse roundhouse kick, prompting for Goku to quickly flip backwards to the other side of the ring. Goku then immediately charged at Tien, but Tien was ready. He threw a right chop, but Goku jumped above and landed behind him. Goku immediately tried to trip Tien, but Tien jumped and dodged the right kick, but Goku's attack was soon followed by right roundhouse kick, which Tien ducked to dodge. Then he immediately went on the offensive as he delivered a knee attack, which Goku blocked by colliding his own knee with his. Then Tien attacked again as he threw right hook and left jab, which Goku dodged both by flipping backwards and jumping high in the air, so Tien wouldn't grapple him. Tien immediately followed suit.

" **It looks like this battle has taken flight!"** The announcer said as he used his binoculars to keep track of Goku and Tien. Only powerful fighters like Master Roshi, Gaito, Piccolo, Yamcha and Krillin were able to keep track of their fight and so far they are evenly matched, while the others looked at the sky only guessing what kind of battle is unfolding upward. As Tien pursued Goku, he threw an energy blast which Goku easily deflected back at Tien, who also swiped it away from harm. Using his energy, he flew at fast speed to catch up with Goku, with two fighters throwing furious punches and kicks.

" **Using astounding force, Tien Shinhan has caught up with Goku and now the two are trading punches in mid-air!"** The announcer said as Goku and Tien continued to throw flurry of punches and kicks. But before either of them would touch the ring below, they both jumped to the opposite sides of the ring and immediately charged at each other, moving so fast that they disappeared in a blur.

"Whoah! They disappeared!" Hanon exclaimed. But soon enough, they could barely hear the sounds of punches and kicks thrown by both fighters, but the sounds were coming from every corner of the ring, with the crowd having no idea where they are exactly.

" _Hmm, he's fast. A lot faster than I expected."_ Piccolo thought, easily following their movements.

"Man, they're so fast my ears can't keep up." Krillin said as he was narrowly keeping up with Goku's and Tien's speed, along with Yamcha.

"You can actually see them? I can't even tell where they are." Lucia said as she looked at Krillin before returning her attention to the ring. Soon enough, Goku and Tien reappeared and charged at each other, closing in fast as they grabbed each other's arms, commencing a struggle of who would overpower their opponent.

" **Amazing! After a lightning speed battle, they are now squaring it off in a fight of brute strength!"** The announcer said. In the crowd, Launch started to growl loudly at Tien's inability to push Goku back, who wasn't struggling nearly as much as Tien.

"Come on Tien Shinhan, take him down! Hurry!" Launch shouted as she fired a few rounds upward with her handgun.

"Ugh, for pity sake." Karen groaned in annoyance.

"You can say that again." Coco seconded her sentiment. The mermaid princesses had no idea that Launch was such a trigger-finger, aside from being a temperamental vixen.

Back to the fight, Goku smiled as he leaned back and kicked Tien in the air with both of his feet. But Tien disappeared in a blur soon after and landed on the ring, quickly dashing forward towards Goku. But the spiky-haired warrior saw the charge coming as he jumped above Tien, spinning forward. But Tien quickly bounced back and quickly landed behind Goku at the same time when Goku landed. As Tien delivered a right hook, Goku disappeared, with Tien unable to find him for a few seconds before he sensed his energy to his left.

"About time you found me. Did you get lost?" Goku smiled casually as he stood upright, while Tien was panting a bit after that intense struggle. But Goku hardly even warmed up as he smiled widely with a toothy grin.

" **It doesn't get any more exciting than this folks! Goku and Tien Shinhan are standing toe to toe in intense combat! The way it looks now, this match can go either way!"** The announcer said.

"I disagree, one of them clearly comes up short." Master Roshi said, drawing the attention of the gang with him. "Tien is facing an uphill battle if he thinks he can defeat Goku with his usual tactics. Despite all that running around, Goku hasn't lost his breath in the slightest. Clearly, he has learned to control his energy, conserving just enough to stay one step ahead of Tien."

"So you are saying that Goku has this fight the bag?" Bulma asked curiously.

"Of course he does." Gaito suddenly said with folded arms, drawing the attention of the gang. "You have no idea how strong Goku really is, you can tell that he is barely even trying so far."

"Well, that may be true, but then again the fight has only just begun. Tien Shinhan might have reserves of his own, for all you know." Rina said. But Roshi merely smiled at the statement.

"I guess we can only wait and see how the fight will go." Roshi said.

"Man, how strong is this human? It's insane." Yuri said to Hippo.

"Stronger than all of us, that's for sure." Hippo said.

After a few moments of reprieve, Goku charged forward and attacked Tien, with Tien retaliating in turn, prompting into flurry of furious punches and kicks from both fighters. After a few seconds of lightning speed attacks, their right fists collided, followed by their left hooks, right knees, Goku's uppercut and Tien's jab before they continued in their intense exchange of blows, with the two fighters moving forward and backward, doing their best to overpower their opponent. Then one moment they stopped before they clashed their left elbows. Then Tien broke the clash and threw right hook, but Goku used the opportunity to swiftly deliver a stomach punch with his right fist, followed by left uppercut and left power kick that sent Tien crashing onto a wall, crumbing into a debris. Goku did not stop in his assault as he charged at his opponent, but Tien smashed from the rubble and grabbed Goku's head when he was in the vicinity, delivering a head-butt that sent him flying back.

"Goku!" Lucia gasped when she saw Goku flying backwards. Fortunately, the pain wasn't too severe as Goku managed to stop himself before he fell out of bounds.

"Ouch! I had no idea your head would be so painful." Goku said as he rubbed his head for pain to subside.

"The best weapons are those your opponent least expects." Tien said as he stood sideways. Goku chuckled light-heartedly as he stood upright.

"Is that so?" Goku smiled as he placed his left fist on his right palm. "Then how about this one?" He said as he jumped high in the air. "JAN KEEEN! Rock!" Goku then threw his right fist, which Tien retaliated with his own. "Scissors!" Goku tried to poke Tien's eyes, but Tien caught his arm. "Paper!" Goku struck with his palm, but Tien blocked it with his knee, immediately retaliating with left hook, but Goku jumped above Tien and landed behind him. Tien smiled confidently as he turned around to face Goku.

"Whoah. You actually know Jan Ken fighting pose?" Goku asked curiously.

"Of course, it's a little trick I picked up from the Crane Hermit, though it was too childish for me to ever use it." Tien said as he took his fighting pose. "Honestly, I'm disappointed that you have to resort to such a simple and utterly predictable game."

"Well, if you really believe that, let's give it a shot one more time." Goku smiled confidently as he clenched his fists to his sides.

"Suit yourself, you are bound to lose every time." Tien said confidently.

"Alright, here I go. JAN KEEEN!" Goku said as he charged again, with his left fist on his right palm again. "Paper!" This time, instead of performing a palm attack, he delivered a left fist attack, confusing Tien and leaving himself wide open for a direct hit. Goku struck him hard right on his face, making Tien fall down on his back and with blood starting to freely flow from his nose.

"Ouch!" Yamcha said.

"Yeah, I'll say. Krillin said. Lucia said nothing as she covered her mouth and nose, somewhat feeling that punch that most certainly delivered a great deal of pain for Tien.

" **Now that one had to hurt! After using a combo that he previously executed on Jackie Chun, Goku managed to knock his opponent down on the ground!"** The announcer said.

" _Well, this brings back memories."_ Roshi thought as he remembered how Goku tricked him the same way six years ago when he fought him in the 21st World Tournament when Goku and Krillin were competing after their training with the Turtle Hermit himself.

"Ouch. Now that is going to leave a bruise." Karen said. Coco said nothing as she too covered her mouth and her nose, in similar state in those moments like Lucia.

"Isn't that a bit of a cheap shot? It kinda was if you ask me." Hanon said, raising her eyebrow in slight confusion.

"Hardly. That was technically a direct attack and Tien left himself wide open." Rina said. As for Gaito, he couldn't help but laugh slightly after that simple attack.

"Admittedly, it was a bit of a cheap move, but effective, I'll give him that." Gaito said with folded arms.

After a few moments, Tien slowly stood up and covered his bloodied nose to stop the bleeding. Goku snickered with a toothy grin as he scratched below his nose.

"What do you say? Not bad for a predictable game, huh?" Goku said light-heartedly as he placed his fists on his hips. Tien frowned seriously as he wiped the blood from his nose, but in the end, he too smiled.

"I hate to admit it, but you got me good on that one. I allowed myself to be fooled." Tien smiled. "But aside from that, I can tell you have improved immensely, there are no words to describe your current talent."

"Thanks, but you should really save that praise for yourself. You are powerful." Goku said as he clenched his fist excitedly.

"Thank you. But, there is one skill I have improved upon that even you can't keep up with. And it so happens to be the most important tool and a successful attack." Tien said confidently, but Goku merely looked at him with innocent expression, wondering what he was up to.

"And that is… the skill of speed!" Tien shouted as he ran at incredible speed before he jumped fast high in the sky. But Goku was not convinced as he could easily follow his movements and jumped high in the air in pursuit.

"Whoah. There they go again." Noel said as she looked high in the sky.

"Man, wish I could do that." Karen said as she too looked up where the two fighters jumped.

" **Once more, Goku and Tien Shinhan take their battle to the skies."** The announcer said.

Up above the clouds, Goku stopped and started to hover in the air. He looked left and right to find Tien, who apparently is taking advantage of his immense speed to avoid being detected by Goku. However, using his ability to sense energy, he found Tien as he spinned sideways and delivered a power kick, which Tien avoided by disappearing in a blur.

"Your eyes are still working Goku." Tien said as he appeared at Goku's left before disappearing again, reappearing in front of Goku. "That's good, I'm impressed. I'm moving at terrific speeds and yet you're still tracking me." Tien said as he continued to disappear and reappear in multiple spots. "But, just because you can see me, doesn't necessarily mean you know where I am or what I'm doing." He said confidently. Goku continued to search for him, but Tien caught him by surprise and delivered an elbow strike behind Goku's neck, sending him plummeting down to the ring.

" **Loot out below, one of the contestants is falling fast! From this announcer's vantage point, it looks like the plunging fighter is Goku. And chasing close behind is Tien Shinhan!"** The announcer said.

Lucia gasped as she thought that Goku was about to crash down into the ring, but Goku recovered and landed on the ring. Goku used the opportunity to charge at Tien while he was still falling down to land, but Tien landed on time and disappeared, reappearing behind him and delivering a kick that sent Goku flying backwards.

"Alright, nice going Tien!" Coco shouted. Lucia pouted in frustration as she looked back to Goku.

"Goku! I know you can win, go for it!" Lucia shouted in support.

Goku immediately recovered and landed on his feet, but Tien did not stop as he continued to use his incredible speed to gain advantage over Goku. Tien sent flurry after flurry of furious punches and kicks and all Goku could do is to block his attacks.

" **Tien Shinhan continues his relentless attack, which is obviously wearing Goku down, but with Goku's sheer tenacity, this fight is far from over!"** The announcer said as Goku continued to block and dodge his attacks, but Tien kicked his feet, tripping him and making him fall down on his back. Tien used this moment of advantage to deliver fast and furious punches which Goku barely had the time to dodge every one. As Tien delivered a kick, Goku grabbed his leg and threw him above the ring, giving him time to get up and take defensive position. But Tien disappeared and started to move around the ring in a blur and flash of light. Goku then charged and tried to punch Tien, but Tien reappeared from behind him and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards again.

"Goku!" Lucia shouted worryingly.

"Nice one Tien Shinhan!" Launch said, not wanting to be left out by Coco, to which the yellow mermaid princesses narrowed her eyes in frustration.

" **Goku is heading straight out of bounds!"** The announcer said. But then Goku started to spin sideways in a whirlwind and landed gracefully on the ring, saving himself from losing to a technicality. Lucia, Krillin and Yamcha sighed in relief.

"Nice going Goku, that was amazing!" Lucia shouted, smiling cheerfully.

"So close." Coco frowned sadly.

"Are you actually making a competition with Lucia by cheering on for Tien Shinhan?" Karen smiled.

"Probably." Coco smiled, though it was simply the fact that she has taken a liking to Tien and it would be a shame not to cheer him on, even though he is fighting Goku of all people.

"You caught me by surprise, I can tell you are not going to make this easy on me." Goku smiled cheerfully.

"Would you really want me to? I doubt it." Tien said, panting moderately as all those furious attacks wore him off slightly. "I don't envy your position, anyone who hopes to defeat me better first ask for a miracle." He said, his arrogance slowly starting to take hold again, boosted by his superior speed.

"Yeah, you are a challenge." Goku smiled.

"I hate to state the obvious, but we both know I'll win. I'm not bragging, it's just a fact. Your body is slower than mine and that will be your undoing." Tien smiled confidently.

"Are you sure about that?" Goku smiled widely with a toothy grin.

"Huh?" Tien raised his eyebrow in slight confusion.

"It's true that you've been training hard in last three years, your speed is incredible." Goku smiled cheerfully before he frowned confidently. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to debunk you on the speed department."

"What are you saying? That you've been holding back this entire time? Don't make me laugh Goku, if you wanted to increase your speed, then you would have done so by now." Tien said.

"Ah well, guess I have no choice but to show you." Goku said as he took his fighting stance, along with Tien. "Watch." Goku said as he increased his speed, moving so fast that he caught Tien off guard and delivered almost instant elbow strike to the face, sending him flying down on the ground.

"What the…!" Krillin exclaimed in complete surprise.

"Whoah! What speed!" Yamcha said, in similar state like Lucia and everyone else from the crowd. Piccolo's eyes also went slightly wide, caught by surprise at Goku's increased speed. Gaito was the only one among the crowd who wasn't surprised, as he witnesses his true power when he fought him not so long ago.

"Wha… what happened? How did you…" Tien growled as he rubbed his face for pain to subside. But Goku merely stood upright and snickered childishly.

"See? I hate to say it, but I'm much faster than you are." Goku smiled.

"Don't think one lucky shot convinced me Goku, you have yet to prove your speed." Tien said as he took his fighting stance.

"Okay, round two it is." Goku smiled before he frowned seriously. Then, in a short whirlwind, he disappeared from sight, much to everyone's shock and surprise.

" **Goku completely vanished from sight! This is the same technique he used against Tien Shinhan in the previous tournament! The question is, will it be successful this time around?"** The announcer said. After a while, not a single sound can be heard.

"Impossible! Now even I can track him!" Tien said in shock as he looked left and right. After a few moments, he could hear faint sounds of dashes in every direction.

" _This seems familiar."_ Gaito thought vividly as this is the same trick that Goku used against him when he fought him in his castle. As for Piccolo, this time he was really surprised by Goku's speed.

" _Amazing. It would seem that only I am capable of tracking his movements. Guess that third eye of his doesn't help much against Goku's speed."_ Piccolo thought before he smirked arrogantly. _"But he will soon find out that speed of his is a child's play against me."_

Even with Tien's improved eyesight, he couldn't keep track of Goku's movements at all, he could only see for one moment his image before it disappears in an instant. However, with a breath of luck, he saw him approach to his right only a few moments before Goku would deliver a powerful blow.

"Tag!" Tien shouted as he delivered a right jab on Goku, but he only left an illusionary image of himself before he delivered a knee attack to the face, sending Tien flying and crashing onto another section of the wall.

"Tien!" Coco shouted worryingly.

"Alright Goku!" Lucia cheered happily. Goku landed gracefully and scratched below his nose, snickering childishly. Tien growled again as he got up from the rubble, rubbing his face for pain to subside.

" _This is unbelievable. No matter how fast he moved, I should have seen his movements anyway."_ Tien thought as he stood upright.

"Not bad, huh? I knew that trick on its own wouldn't work against you. But when I combined it with my Afterimage Technique, it certainly packs a punch." Goku smiled. Tien couldn't help but smile as well.

"I was wrong, I allowed my arrogance to blind me to the truth. I have never known a man or beast that can move as swift as you." Tien smiled before he frowned in determination and folded his arms. "But if you think that gift alone will aid you, then you are mistaken, because I have yet to play my best card."

"What do you mean by that? Are you planning to use the Volleyball Technique again? Or the Tri Beam?" Goku asked curiously.

"No, I want to defeat you, not blow you into million pieces. Besides, with that incredible speed of yours, you'd probably just dodge the blast anyway." Tien said as he clenched his fists to his sides. "What I have in mind is not quite as destructive as the Tri Beam, but it's enough."

"Alright then, let's see it." Goku frowned confidently.

"With pleasure." Tien said. Then he growled as he spread his arms wide. Goku immediately took a fighting stance and readied himself for anything that Tien might throw at him. Eventually, he clenched his spread out arms in front of him and veins started to pop across his upper body. Much to the crowd's shock, awe and slight disgust, something was beginning to sprout from Tien's back, as if something is trying to rip through Tien's skin and burst out of his body. The overgrown parts increased in size, until they formed into two extra arms, finally signifying the use of Four Witches Technique exclusive to Tien Shinhan himself.

Although Goku yelped slightly in disgust, he shouldn't be shocked as he witnessed that technique being used in the previous tournament, though it is a sickening process to behold. As for everyone else, they looked at Tien silently in shock, excluding Piccolo, who merely found amusement in this development. As for the mermaid princesses, they were horrified by Tien's technique, along with Hippo and Yuri and to lesser extent Gaito. Even though Gaito's draconic form was a lot more terrifying to behold, they couldn't help but flinch at how Tien suddenly managed to grow two more arms from beneath his shoulder blades like he was some kind of mutant.

" **As impossible as it may seem ladies and gentlemen, this is not an illusion! Again in similar fashion like in the previous tournament, Tien Shinhan now has four arms to battle Goku with, four!"** The announcer said. This time he wasn't nowhere near as shocked as he was when he first witnessed Tien's technique, but he was still shocked nonetheless.

"So it's that technique again. That won't work on me Tien, you know I will easily counter it with my Eight Arms technique, a little trick I picked up from King Chappa." Goku smiled confidently.

"Oh, I know that all too well." Tien said confidently, making Goku look at him with innocent expression again. "I know this technique against you is useless on its own, but over three years of training I made a little variation. You'll love it." Tien said as he crossed his arms in front of him. "I'm sorry Goku, but victory is mine." Tien said as he started to growl again. After a few seconds of concentrating his energy, Tien started to emanate a faint yellow glow around him. Goku raised his eyebrow as he found this situation familiar. After some time, Tien managed to make a copy of himself.

"If you think that's something, wait till you see what's next." Tien said as he continued to make more copies of himself. Even Piccolo, Gaito and Master Roshi found great interest in his technique. Soon enough, Tien Shinhan made three copies of himself, creating four Tien Shinhans for Goku to fight.

"Whoah. You actually divided into four people." Goku said in amazement.

"Nice move, finally some entertainment." Piccolo said.

" **Tien Shinhan has split into four, presumably by using the Afterimage Technique."** The announcer said as four Tiens took their various fighting stances.

" _That's definitely not the Afterimage Technique."_ Goku thought as he took his fighting stance as well. Then four Tiens charged at Goku at fast speed. Goku quickly raised his hands in front of him, blocking two simultaneous punches from one of Tien's copies. At first, Goku managed to counter their attacks, flipping, dodging and blocking at every corner of the ring, but soon enough he was caught off guard as one by one, four Tiens delivered a furious combos of punches with their four arms in every part of Goku's body, then dashing away before Goku could retaliate. Then one copy of Tien tripped Goku while at the same time, other two Tien's slammed Goku into the ground. Goku quickly got back on his feet, but with all four Tien Shinhans surrounding Goku and with sixteen arms united, Goku couldn't block all of their punches and many blows at once were delivered, with Goku unable to block so many punches across his entire body.

"Goku!" Lucia shouted worryingly.

After a few more moments of barrage of furious punches, one Tien punches Goku in the gut hard, followed by the second Tien delivering two double axe handles simultaneously, smashing him into the ground, with third Tien kneeing him on his ribs, sending him tumbling like a ragdoll near the edge of the ring.

" **This is absolutely stunning! Four Tien Shinhans have delivered blows at their opponent as if ten machine guns struck at once! Now Goku lies down seemingly unconscious on the ground, will he recover after those fast and furious punches?"** The announcer said.

"Incredible. Tien Shinhan actually has the upper hand against Goku." Noel said.

"Woohoo, way to go Tien!" Coco cheered.

"Wait, you are actually enjoying this?" Karen asked, raising her eyebrow in slight confusion.

"Maybe. Probably due to the fact that this isn't a fight to the death, especially since Tien is Goku's friend." Coco smiled.

"True that." Karen said simply. Then their attention turned towards Goku, as he was slowly getting up.

"Wow. He barely has a scratch on him." Hanon said in amazement.

"Even after all those blows." Rina said, also amazed as Hanon.

"Ouch. Those punches felt real." Goku said as four Tiens popped in front of him. "As the matter of fact, they are all real."

"That's true, this is my special technique: Quadruplication." Four Tiens said as the same time.

"I thought Tien Shinhan was the only child, quadruplets?" Launch said. Gaito and the mermaid princesses sweat-dropped by her blunt statement.

"Oh my goodness." Rina face palmed in utter annoyance.

"Man, I dunno who's worse, Goku or her." Hanon said. True that Goku is powerful and pure of heart, but he can be so stupid sometimes.

"Hello? Launch, wake up, he said quadruplication, it's a technique!" Bulma exclaimed, about as annoyed as the mermaid princesses.

"Quadruhh… what?" Goku said in confused tone. Tien Shinhans fell down on the ground in comedic fashion. "Nah, I prefer to call it Multiform Technique, it has more of a ring to it." He said as he rubbed the back of his head. When Tien's thought about it, they actually agreed with the name change.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point." First Tien said.

"Multiform Technique it is." Second Tien said.

"Hey, wait a minute. You act as if you have known about this technique before I even used it. Am I wrong?" Third Tien said. Goku looked at him blankly before he smiled with a wide toothy grin, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, you caught me there. It's true, I have known about the technique for months now. Actually I used it on more than one occasion." Goku smiled.

"What?! Impossible, I'm the only master of the Multiform Technique!" One of Tien's shouted.

"Not anymore." Goku smiled. "And not only that, I have discovered two weaknesses that will make you lose this fight." He said as he gestured with two fingers.

"It looks like Goku won this fight. About time he got serious." Piccolo smirked arrogantly before he grinned. "That's just one step closer to finally crushing him."

"Is that so? Well, while you foolishly cling to that belief, I am going to end this fight. Be ready!" First Tien said before all four of them ran to the very corners of the ring, much to Goku's surprise and curiousness.

" **In a peculiar move, all four of Tien Shinhans have dispersed across the four corners of the ring. What could they be possibly planning with this bizarre strategy?"** The announcer said. The four Tiens extended their hands forward and started to concentrate their energy. Occasional sparks of lightning flowed to their palms and yellow glow of energy formed. Goku frowned seriously and clenched his fists to his sides, readying himself for their attack.

"Now!" First Tien shouted as all four of them fired their beams. Goku smirked as this was the moment he was waiting for. The four beams made contact and exploded in a mushroom smoke the size of the ring, sending strong winds in all direction.

"I don't see him anywhere, do you? Where did he go?" Krillin said as he looked everywhere, along with everyone else, but Goku just vanished. Using all twelve of his enhanced eyesight's, Tien looked up and found Goku hiding in the clouds.

"There!" First Tien shouted as all four Tien's placed their index and middle fingers close to their third eye, firing four powerful eye beams straight on Goku.

" **The sky lights up as Tien and his doppelgangers shoot intense energy beams into the clouds above!"** The announcer said as the beams were getting closer and closer to Goku.

"Huh. Gotcha!" Goku grinned confidently as he placed his hands close to his face with his fingers spread towards his eyes.

"SOLAR FLARE!" Goku said as he unleashed an intense bright light on his opponent. Tien had no choice but to cancel the attack and shield his enhanced, yet sensitive eyes. Everyone else present also covered their eyes so they wouldn't get blinded.

" **Goku has created a light so intense it's as if he threw the sun itself in Tien Shinhan's face! Ironically, this is the same technique Tien used in the previous tournament, only this time it's being used against him!"** The announcer said as Goku was slowly descending to the ring with folded arms and confident smirk **. "Goku's plan is working as the dazzling light takes its toll on Tien and anyone else not fortunate enough to wear sunglasses!"** The announcer said.

"This is weak spot number one. Your eyesight is a little _too_ good." Goku said.

"Are you serious? You know the Solar Flare technique too?" One of Tien's said as he tried to attack Goku, but he easily managed to dodge his attacks. With Tien being temporarily blinded and stunned, he was blindly charging at Goku, barely trying to keep up with him.

"Wrong way! I'm over here!" Goku smiled.

"This was a bad idea Goku. You have to rely on your sight same as me, which means you're also at a disadvantage." Tien said.

"I disagree. There are two of you behind me, right?" Goku said as he looked behind him. "One is readying a knife hand attack, and the other a right roundhouse kick."

"What? How can you tell?" Tien asked in wonder.

"Training. I won't bore you with the details. But I think that's enough." Goku said as the blinding light was slowly dissipating. "Lesson finished, I assume you can see clearly again?" Goku asked as all four Tien's can easily see again. "Good, now it's time for me to show you your second weak spot. And that alone cost you this match dearly."

"Due tell!" First Tien exclaimed as all four of them readied to charge at Goku.

"You made the first one worse by breaking up into four!" Goku said as he charged forward and disappeared in a blur. In a span of almost a second, he punched first Tien outside the ring, followed by second Tien being kicked in the ribs and sent flying with a power kick, third Tien kicked outside and fourth Tien being punched in the gut. All four of them ended piling up out of bounds. Finally, the three copies disappeared and Tien's two extra arms retracted back to his body, temporarily knocking him out unconscious.

In only one instant did everyone present saw Goku disappearing before in the next, Tien Shinhan was immediately knocked out of the ring, piled up before they even realized what happened. Even Piccolo, despite his awesome power, was left shocked and surprised at Goku's unfathomable speed. Tien regained a little of his strength after his three copies retracted in his body and was slowly getting up, with Goku smiling and standing above him.

"I win." Goku smiled as he looked at Tien. "That was an impressive technique, that's for sure, but it doesn't work in a fight like this. Not only were you split into four, but so was your speed and power. If you had truly mastered it, you would have known of its weaknesses before you even used it." He said. But Tien merely smiled as he looked at his friend. If anything was wounded in this fight, it was his pride and nothing more.

" _Good reasoning. Nice to see Goku has worked on sharpening more than just his fighting skills."_ Master Roshi thought as Goku helped Tien to get back up into the ring before walking with Goku to the hall, but not before they stopped in the middle of the ring.

"Okay, be honest Goku. If what you say is true, then how _did_ you learn the Multiform Technique?" Tien smiled.

"You see, while I was training at Kami's Lookout, there was this jug that Kami had that allowed me to see what I wanted. Since I couldn't go down to see you guys after the Eternal Dragon was resurrected, I used the jug to check on you, Krillin, Yamcha and Chiaotzu. It was at that point that I saw you using the technique. It was so amazing that I had to learn to use it myself." Goku smiled before he placed his clenched fists on his hips. "And when I did, I learned of its weaknesses and they helped me overcome your strategy without a problem."

"I see." Tien said with blank expression before he smiled. "Your power is truly amazing Goku, congratulations." He then extended his hand. Goku looked at him blankly before he smiled too.

"Thanks Tien." Goku said as their bout concluded with friendly handshake.

As for the announcer, after a few moments of pure shock, he finally snapped out.

" **Ugh, okay, it's official! Tien Shinhan fell out of bounds, ending an unprecedented battle! Goku wins the first match of the semi-finals and now goes on to the championship round, where the 23** **rd** **Master of Martial Arts will be determined!"** The announcer said.

"Ahh, well done Goku." Hero said within the hall where participants gather, sitting all alone without any disturbance, smiling at Goku's victory.

"Aww. He lost." Coco frowned sadly in disappointment.

"Don't be so down in the dumps Coco, Tien Shinhan performed incredibly." Hanon smiled, along with Rina. Master Roshi nodded in turn.

"Without a doubt, Tien Shinhan definitely gave Goku a run of his money, his level of skill and power is astounding." Master Roshi smiled before he looked at Coco. "So if I were you, I should be feeling proud instead of bowing my head down in unnecessary and petty disappointments."

"Yeah, cheer up Coco, not everyone can fight all the way to the semi-finals. That in and of itself is an accomplishment." Bulma smiled in support. Coco looked at them blankly before she looked at Tien, who was smiling while having a conversation with Goku, with the spiky-haired warrior occasionally laughing as they made their way to the hall.

"I am proud. In more ways than one." Coco smiled.

"Goku, that was amazing!" Lucia shouted cheerfully as she jumped and hugged Goku tightly. Goku almost lost his balance, but he too laughed slightly before putting Lucia down. "I'm so proud of you, you performed incredibly."

"Thanks Lucia." Goku smiled. Then Lucia turned towards Tien.

"You were also amazing out there Tien Shinhan, what Goku said about you was true. You are very strong and fast." Lucia smiled.

"Thanks, but let's be honest, Goku was much stronger than I was." Tien smiled, with Goku, Lucia, Krillin and Yamcha having blank expressions. "I lost the match the moment I stepped into the ring. His level of skill is unimaginable. In the last tournament, we were at each other's necks for the entire fight. But now… I couldn't even keep up with him. He didn't even use the Kamehameha Wave, not once."

"Well, I didn't want to blow you into million pieces either." Goku laughed light-heartedly, rubbing the back of his head, with Krillin and Yamcha joining in as they laughed too, but Lucia merely smiled at the statement.

"You weren't going full strength at me, right? You were actually holding back a lot more power than you were letting on during the match, didn't you?" Tien asked.

"Well yeah, kind of." Goku smiled.

"You were always the honest one, Goku. I can't wait for the rematch." Tien smiled excitedly, with Goku nodding with a friendly, but confident smirk.

"Me too." Goku smiled.

" **This next match is an important one, it will determine who will fight Goku in the final bout for the title! The outcome is unpredictable, but one thing is certain, this battle will be a spectacle you don't want to miss, so find a good view and get ready to welcome they mysterious Junior and his unpredictable opponent Hero."** The announcer said.

"Lucia, I need to go inside and speak with Hero alone, can you wait here with the others?" Goku smiled. Lucia merely looked at him in confusion at the strange question.

"Umm, sure." She nodded hesitantly.

"Thanks." Goku smiled as he headed inside and stop Hero before he could reach the entrance to the ring.

"That's odd. Why would Goku want to speak with Hero of all people?" Krillin raised his eyebrow, as confused as Lucia, Yamcha and Tien.

"Do they know each other?" Tien said with folded arms. At the same time, Piccolo hovered and landed on the ring with everpresent, arrogant smirk on his face, folding his arms and waiting for his 'opponent' to show up.

But after a few minutes of waiting, Hero still didn't show up.

" **Uh… what is the matter? Hero! Competitor Hero, please enter the ring, we are waiting on you!"** The announcer said. But Piccolo merely let out a muffled laugh.

"Don't hold your breath, the twerp probably ran away." Piccolo smirked arrogantly. But moments later, Hero finally went out of the hall and was making his way towards the ring.

" **Ladies and gentlemen, Hero has arrived! Get ready, this is sure to be an amazing battle."** The announcer said, with the crowd cheering excitedly for the match to finally begin.

"Huh. For a moment I thought you developed a brain and threw in the towel." Piccolo said arrogantly.

"Sorry, this is a big arena, I got lost on my way here." Hero said in goofy tone, making the crowd around him ridicule him and laugh at him. However, a few minutes later after the match began, everyone was surprised that Hero had a dead serious look on his face as he faced his opponent.

"Why the serious look, old man? Don't fear, it's not you I'm after, its Goku." Piccolo said as he clenched his fists to his sides. But Hero smiled with a rather confident smirk.

"Is that the extent of your plan? Destroy Goku, rule the world? Your vision is as lackluster as your flawed heritage, Piccolo." Hero said, much to Piccolo's immense surprise. "So pathetic, you were always the weaker half."

"Hey, wha… what do you mean?! Who are you?!" Piccolo exclaimed in demand. But Hero said nothing as he commenced his attack by lifting two of his fingers, delivering a strong Kiai attack that sent Piccolo flying upward and strong winds in every direction. Then Hero started to levitate and flew in the air, charging at Piccolo.

"Tell me! Who are you?!" Piccolo shouted as he fired a powerful energy attack, which Hero barely dodged. The blast continued its way until it exploded in the ocean in a monstrous splash that was as big as one fourth of the island. Even though at a distance it looks smaller in size, the attack was still impactful to the spectators and participants alike.

Piccolo did not stop as he delivered a double axe handle, sending Hero flying down, but he managed to land on the ring before he could crash. Then Piccolo reappeared behind Hero and threw a left claw attack, but Hero kneed him behind the neck and slammed him through the ring, but he immediately drilled to the other side of the ring, leaving two holes.

Besides Goku, the others were left aghast at Hero's level of skill and power, more so for Piccolo after he unleashed such a destructive blast.

" _Goku wasn't bluffing, Piccolo is even stronger than I imagined. And I bet he wasn't even trying when he unleashed that energy attack."_ Gaito thought, looking at Piccolo before he looked at Hero. _"Hero was maybe stronger than Yamcha, but in this fight, Piccolo is the superior fighter of the two."_

" _Judging by his physique, I should be able to defeat this human with a look. But his fighting style is similar to mine, how is this possible?"_ Piccolo thought, having no idea how this nerdy and fragile old man could be so strong and skillful. To think that bumbling idiot from before could be this powerful… he would have at least lost to a technicality if Hero didn't fight seriously from the get go.

But before he could ponder on it any further, Hero charged at him in similar way like he does, adding more surprises to his list. Piccolo threw a chop, but Hero stopped in mid-air and threw a right punch, sending him flying backwards. Then he charged again for another attack, but Piccolo dodged and threw a kick which Hero dashed to the right. Then the two fighters were briefly throwing punches before Hero disappeared and reappeared to Piccolo's right, delivered a left roundhouse kick which Piccolo caught.

"Time for you to say… goodbye!" Piccolo exclaimed as he threw Hero in front of him, then he unleashed another energy blast at Hero. The fighter had no choice but to catch the blast before it would make contact with the audience and take away all of the innocent lives present. Hero then diverted the blast upwards, dissipating harmlessly and leaving Piccolo yet again surprised by his skill. However, he was slowly starting to set pieces in place and slowly having a few guesses of who this Hero actually is.

"Whoah! Did you see that Rina?" Hanon said in amazement.

"Yeah, Hero's strength is astounding. No wonder why Yamcha lost so easily." Rina frowned slightly.

"I guess I can't blame Yamcha anymore for that fight, Hero is far stronger than we realized." Bulma said, about as amazed as everyone else in the gang.

However, after Piccolo read Hero's mind, Hero finally decided to drop the act and speak with him in an entirely different language that no one knew about but him and Piccolo. Piccolo at long last discovered that Hero was actually Kami inhabiting a human body to drop him off guard and beat him, to which Piccolo mocked greatly. But after a few more banters between the two, Kami finally pulled out a small bottle from his shirt's pocket and placed it in front of him, and on the bottle was carved a demon seal that Piccolo recognized all too well.

"NO, NOT THAT!" Piccolo shouted in panic as Hero, now known as Kami flipped backwards a few times and extended his hands in front of him.

"Evil Containment Wave!" Kami shouted.

"Oh no!" Tien exclaimed.

"What?!" Yamcha exclaimed.

"He's using a bottle?!" Master Roshi exclaimed, with Hero being insane that he is attempting to try such a dangerous technique on a tiny container. But it was too late as Kami unleashed his attack, sending continuous strong winds in all directions.

"Wha… what in the world is going on here?!" Krillin exclaimed as he could barely hear himself from the winds.

"It's the same technique that Master Mutaito used to imprison King Piccolo!" Yamcha shouted.

"Hang on girls!" Karen exclaimed as the mermaid princesses, along with Bulma, Launch and Roshi held onto a nearby wall to stop themselves from being blown away. Gaito hugged Sara and rooted himself in place, with Hippo doing the same for Yuri.

"Kami!" Goku shouted, hugging Lucia with one hand and shielding his eyes with the other, with Lucia hugging him tightly so she wouldn't be blown away as well. But the winds grew stronger as Kami's plan is seemingly coming to fruition. Or so he thought before Piccolo grinned wickedly.

"You sealed your fate, Kami!" Piccolo said before he extended his hands forward. "Evil Containment Wave Reversed!" He shouted as he reflected the attack and imprisoned Kami instead in the swirling vortex.

"You tricked me! But If I am to be imprisoned so be it, but I will not condemn this body to my fate! Go now, I release you!" Kami said before he finally abandoned the host human and revealed his true self.

"Haha, there you are!" Piccolo shouted triumphantly.

"You may have defeated me, but you won't win! It's up to you Goku, destroy him, destroy him!" Kami said, much to Goku's shock as Piccolo finally directed the swirling winds into the tiny container, swiftly dashing forward and sealing the bottle before Kami could escape. Then he stood up and looked at the tiny bottle in front of him as the announcer commenced the countdown.

" _No! Kami!"_ Goku thought in shock as Kami's plan completely backfired on him. Now that he is imprisoned and in Piccolo's custody, how is he going to beat him now?

"Goku?" Lucia asked worryingly as she saw Goku's body trembling and clenching his fists in anger.

" _Fools. If you truly believed the Evil Containment Wave will work on me over and over again, then you are gravely mistaken. Now I have no weaknesses and I can only be beaten the old fashioned way."_ Piccolo thought as he grinned wickedly, looking at the group of competitors before he looked at Goku. _"And now, you're next Goku."_

As the announcer counted to ten, Piccolo was declared the victor. With Kami no longer inhabiting his body, Hero quickly left the ring completely confused, never to be seen again. Then the announcer declared a ten minute intermission before the finals were to begin, to which Piccolo did not take kindly.

"Intermission is for weaklings." Piccolo grunted. But moments later, a natural storm clouds started to form above them.

"Girls?" Master Roshi said to Hanon and Rina. "For your sakes, you better get a move on." He said in serious tone. Hanon and Rina looked at Roshi and wondered what he meant by those grim words. Then one moment they looked at him in surprise and realization that he somehow knew who they actually are.

"Right." Rina nodded as she too frowned seriously. "Karen, Noel, Coco. Let's go." Rina said, with the three mermaids nodding in agreement.

"Sara?" Gaito said.

"Right behind you." Sara said as she departed with Gaito, followed by Hippo, Yuri and the other mermaid princesses.

"Wait you guys, where are you going?" Bulma asked, wondering where could they all be going all of a sudden.

"We are going to meet with Goku, since they are taking a break before the finals." Hanon said before she too departed.

"Speaking of which, I'll come along too." Roshi frowned seriously before he left.

"Hey, wait up!" Bulma exclaimed before she left, followed by Launch, Oolong and Puar. Little did Roshi know that the mermaid princesses are no longer affected by the curse of the sea foam if they were to reveal their true selves in front of the humans, but even if they did, it would probably cause a lot of commotion and they really didn't want to attract a monument of attentions on themselves, they have enough to worry about already.

Meanwhile, Piccolo looked at the skies in amusement before he made his way to the hall, but not before encountering Goku and his friends in his way.

"Troubles boy?" Piccolo taunted.

"Yes, unless you hand over the bottle." Goku frowned seriously, but Piccolo played dumb as he smirked arrogantly.

"A what bottle? Oh you mean this little thing?" Piccolo said as he gestured the bottle in his hands.

"GIVE IT NOW!" Goku shouted furiously, but Piccolo merely grinned in amusement as he lifted the bottle above his head, with occasional thunder striking again. Lucia was starting to be frightened a little as Piccolo was far more intimidating up close and personal.

"Anything you desire." Piccolo grinned wickedly, with Goku merely hissing as he knew Piccolo was toying with his head. "Here." He extended the bottle right in front of his face. Goku cautiously lifted his hand, but as he was about to take the bottle, Piccolo flicked the container and bit it with his jagged teeth. Much to everyone's shock, especially Goku's, Piccolo swallowed the bottle whole.

"Sorry. My hand must have slipped, how clumsy of me." Piccolo mocked with typical arrogant tone. "What ever will you do now? You can have it, but you will have to kill me, and he dies too." He said, with Goku gritting his teeth in fury. Piccolo stood in front of him, with another thunder striking before he departed.

"Hope you're prepared, for lots of pain. I assume Kami covered that in your training." Piccolo taunted before he departed where he could be all alone, leaving Goku to sulk in his inevitable defeat. The others were now worried about Goku, especially Lucia, for she along with the other mermaid princesses discovered Piccolo's true origins and she didn't like it one bit.

The rain started to fall and the entire gang gathered in the competition hall, since during intermission, the spectators were allowed to meet up with participants. While Gaito, Hippo, Yuri and the mermaid princesses were well aware of Piccolo, Master Roshi, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Bulma, Launch, Oolong and Puar were left in the dark and in need of explanations.

"For once I'm lost Goku, tell us what's going on here." Master Roshi asked seriously.

"Yes, it's pretty obvious that Junior would like nothing more than to rip you to shreds, so tell us what's the history between you two." Tien asked in serious tone, but Goku stayed silent at the question. "I gather from his bad looks and his bad attitude that he must be a member of Piccolo's tribe."

"Come on Goku, tell us." Krillin demanded.

"I have no idea how to say it." Goku frowned seriously, having a lump on his neck as he found it extremely difficult to reveal Junior's true identity to people who were victims of his conquest, especially Krillin and Master Roshi.

"Is there something you are not allowed to tell us about?" Yamcha asked.

"You are acting like you don't know us at all Goku." Krillin said.

"Just tell us already!" Bulma demanded in angry tone, hating to be left in the dark for practically anything. But her expression went blank again as she saw Goku having a dead serious look on his face.

"Goku, are you going to say it or you want me to do it?" Gaito said seriously with folded arms.

"No, let me do it, just give me a second." Goku said before he made a few steps forward and turned towards the entire group.

"Oh no! Is he…" Master Roshi said, slowly realizing who Junior actually is.

"Junior is… King Piccolo." Goku finally said, with thunder accompanying his grim news. While Gaito, Hippo, Yuri and the mermaid princesses frowned seriously and knew all too well about Piccolo's origins, Master Roshi, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Bulma, Launch, Oolong and Puar were utterly shocked by this discovery.

"What?! You can't be serious!" Oolong said in horrified tone.

"But that's impossible Goku, it can't be!" Outraged Tien said.

"Wait a minute! Didn't you exterminated King Piccolo three years ago?!" Bulma said in trembling tone.

"I did, but…" Goku stopped as he had flashbacks of those critical moments before King Piccolo's demise. "According to Kami, before he died, King Piccolo managed to release an egg that contained his entire essence and Junior hatched from that egg. And that would make him King Piccolo reincarnated. It strange, but he possesses far greater powers than would make his father's power look like nothing."

"Are you kidding?!" Krillin exclaimed in terror.

"Is that really true Goku?" Yamcha asked.

"I'm afraid so." Goku nodded seriously.

"I never thought we would have to face another Piccolo. No matter what we do, he always seems to return." Master Roshi frowned seriously.

"But wait, wasn't it Piccolo who emerged when Hero was struck by the wave?" Yamcha said, with Goku shaking his head in reply.

"No, the person you saw resembles Piccolo, but it wasn't him. He only masqueraded as Hero to get to Junior." Goku said.

"Then who is he?" Tien asked.

"He's Kami, Guardian of the Earth." Goku said. This time everyone in the group was shocked that someone that greatly resembles King Piccolo could actually be the Guardian of the Earth.

"What?! Kami?!" Roshi exclaimed in surprise. He never saw him in person, so he was just as surprised as everyone else.

"Wait a minute. You mean Kami you told me about was the same guy we saw back in the ring?" Lucia asked in surprise.

"Yes." Goku nodded before he turned to the group. "You see, Kami and King Piccolo were born as one. Kami casted Piccolo from his body, creating two beings: One good, one evil. If one dies, then both suffer the same fate." Goku said.

"That explains it. The Evil Containment Wave was the only thing that could have stopped Piccolo without harming himself, too bad it backfired." Roshi said.

"Tien, is it possible for Kami to escape from the bottle, could we free him?" Goku asked.

"Yes, if you can remove the bottle cap. But the only way to even get to that bottle is down Piccolo's throat." Tien said.

"Then what are we going to do? It's not like he is just going to cough it up, he is insanely strong." Krillin said in fright.

"What do you think? We fight him, that's what we will do." Gaito said.

"No, I'm going to fight him." Goku frowned seriously as he looked at Gaito.

"Goku is right." Tien said to Gaito. "Even our combined strength would not be enough to defeat Piccolo. So right now, Goku is our only hope."

"I'll stop Piccolo, I promise." Goku clenched his fist confidently.

"I know you will Goku." Lucia smiled in support, with Goku smiling back and nodding with a confident smirk.

"To bear such a burden… it's unfair Goku, but since the Evil Containment Wave failed, you are our last chance. I think Piccolo knows you're a threat, that's why he came here to stop you." Roshi said.

"That's quite a story." A familiar and sinister voice said. The entire group looked at the exit leading to the ring to find Piccolo leaning on the door archway.

"What? When did he…" Krillin said before Piccolo chuckled arrogantly. Oolong and Puar quickly ran for cover, while most of the group looked at Piccolo in fear.

"When it comes to being a nuisance, Goku excels, no one is more troublesome than he. Perhaps your savior would have had a glimmer of hope had he not been so lazy during his training." Piccolo said maliciously before he started to walk towards Goku. Lucia's fears worsened as the green-skinned creature was closing in, holding onto Goku's hand and hiding behind him for protection. Goku clutched her trembling hand in silent comfort, but not averting his stern gaze from Piccolo's.

"Your friends think you have skill, but we both know the truth. You were just a little boy who got lucky, but three years is a long time and I've grown stronger." Piccolo said.

"You are not the only one." Goku smirked confidently, to which Piccolo chuckled again.

"Keep up the brave façade, once I've dispatched you from this world, it and all your friends will be mine. And there's nothing you can do about it!" Piccolo laughed as he turned towards the ring and took few steps forward. "The intermission is over. Come, it is time I fulfilled my destiny." He said as he draped his cloak behind him, grinning wickedly at Goku. But Goku wasn't frightened in the slightest. In fact he was excited to get the show on the road and show Piccolo what he is truly capable of. With the finals closing in, the storm clouds started to disperse and the sun was slowly shining again.

" **Ladies and gentlemen, your patience is about to be rewarded, the final match of the 23** **rd** **World Martial Arts Tournament begins now! Welcome the contestants Goku and Junior! Who will be the next Master of Martial Arts?!"** The announcer said.

"Don't look so sad Goku, you won't have to say goodbye to your friends, I'll kill them all as soon as I've dealt with you." Piccolo said sadistically before he departed to the ring.

"Well, good luck Goku. You'll need it." Rina frowned seriously.

"I know you can do it Goku, beat that overgrown lizard back to where he came from." Hanon frowned.

"I promise to do my best, but he is one strong adversary." Goku said as he looked at Piccolo making his way into the ring.

"You heard what Aqua Regina said, Goku. Failure is _not_ an option, got it?" Gaito said seriously as he stood to Goku's right side. Goku frowned seriously as he nodded silently. "Good." He said before he turned to the mermaid princesses. "Let's go back to the spectator's bleach, the fight will soon commence." Gaito said as he departed. Sara followed suit, along with Yuri, Hippo and the rest of the group who weren't participants, excluding Lucia. While Roshi, Tien, Yamcha and Krillin went outside to get a better view of the fight, Lucia stopped Goku by grabbing his hand without averting her worried gaze from the ground.

"What is it Lucia?" Goku asked with innocent expression on his face.

"Remember your promise Goku." Lucia frowned sadly before she looked at him worryingly, but Goku merely smiled as he turned towards her. However, Lucia was caught completely off guard as for the first time as long as she knew him, Goku actually kissed her first on the lips. Not her, nothing in between or simultaneous, him. The kiss lasted for a few seconds before he broke the kiss, looking at her with his trademark smile.

"Don't worry Lucia." Goku smiled before he turned his back on her without breaking the eye contact. "That is a promise that I intend to keep." He gave her thumbs up before he departed, leaving Lucia standing there with heavy blush. Lucia touched her lips in wonder of what just happened. Did he do that on purpose? Was it a silent goodbye? Or was it just a routine he got used to from several times they kissed? She didn't cared about that, he kissed her and that is all that mattered to her, smiling gently as she looked at her love of her life departing to the ring.

" _Go get him, my dear Goku."_ Lucia thought, smiling gently and blushing before she left to the spectator's bleach to meet with the others.

Soon enough, Goku himself entered the ring and stood at the opposite end, gazing sternly at Piccolo.

"You should feel honored." Piccolo grinned wickedly with folded arms.

"Why is that?" Goku said in stern voice.

"Because… I am your executioner!" Piccolo said as he clenched his fists to his sides, having a sadistic and cruel look on his face.

At long last, after three years of brutal training, three years of multitude of events that transpired to this moment, a rematch between Earth's hero and the demon king's reincarnation is closing in with every strike of the drums at faster and faster rate. Goku's friends look on in worry and hope in Goku's power, the others in the crowd look towards the two fighters in ignorant excitement and cheers, while Piccolo looks at a victim that he is very eager to maim and slaughter, down to the very narrow of his bones. But question is, who will be the last man standing in this mortal combat? Once again, the battle for the fate of mankind and the planet itself is about to begin.

* * *

 **A/N: Here we go, a long awaited chapter where Goku and Piccolo will finally have a good beating. As always, thank you all for views and reviews of the story so far. Honestly, some of the parts were kinda boring to write, cause most of the events in the tournament are like in the anime, with some twists and changes as you may have noticed so far. As for promise made to Lucia? Hmm, what could it be? Leave it on your revlews and let me hear your thoughts. Maybe its something simplistic or it could be something that will have an impact on the future after the tournament? And no, its not about marriage, i am not going to make Chi Chi out of Lucia, at least not in marriage department :D**

 **-SuperKamehameha Thanks bro. Yeah, if you haven't watched the anime of Mermaid Melody series, you would have been surprised at stupid things that tick her off sometimes :D**

 **-Blake2020 Thanks :)**

 **-Haseo55 Thank you. Well, the scene with Launch was pretty much the same like in the anime, so that was the reason why i cut it short :D**

 **-Guest Glad you like my choice of pairings :)**

 **-kakarotsanmistic Thanks :)**

 **Thanks again everyone and as always, ill see you in the next chapter :)**


	25. Chapter 25

~Battle for the Future~

 _During those moments prior to the beginning of the fight in the final round, memories of the past rushed in Goku's mind as he remembered the time he spent with Lucia a night before they departed to Papaya Island. It was 11:00 PM before midnight and Goku and Lucia were sitting next to each other on the beach where Goku is usually training, gazing towards the horizon to the sea, where only the light of the full moon reflected on the sea below, creating a beautiful and romantic scenery which Lucia cherished every moment of it._

" _It's so beautiful, isn't it Goku?" Lucia smiled blissfully as she leaned her head on Goku's shoulder._

" _Yeah, definitely." Goku smiled as he looked towards the moon. "You know, it's kinda funny that every time I look at the full moon, I always seem to black out for some reason."_

" _Really? How so?" Lucia said as she lifted her head up and looked at Goku with innocent expression._

" _I have no idea, but it usually happens when I have a tail." Goku said casually._

" _What?! You had a tail?!" Lucia exclaimed, her eyes wide in surprise. She had no idea that Goku had a tail to begin with._

" _Yeah, of course. But since the moon was destroyed six years ago, Kami told me that it could be restored if I lost my tail. So that's what I decided to do." Goku smiled casually at Lucia before he looked at the moon. "It's really strange, but even since I lost my tail, I can now look at the full moon without a problem."_

" _I had no idea. That would have explained why we didn't see an ounce of moonlight for three years back then." Lucia said as she looked up before she looked at Goku again, completely baffled at how someone can destroy a moon, which was no simple feat whatsoever. But since Goku didn't want to go into morbid details, like when a giant monster crushed his own grandfather during the full moon when he blacked out, he decided to change the subject. It was a really painful memory to even think about, though he never said it to anyone._

" _So, you said you have something to tell me in private. What is it?" Goku looked at her innocently. Lucia looked at Goku blankly before she frowned sadly, looking down on the sand, much to Goku's curiosity. She didn't want to talk about it so soon, she wanted to enjoy herself in Goku's company as long as possible, but that was no longer an option._

" _What's wrong Lucia?" Goku asked curiously._

" _To tell you the truth, there was nothing to say specifically. I just wanted for us to spend time together before the tournament. Before you fight Piccolo in the finals." Lucia said worryingly._

" _So that's been bothering you. My fight with Piccolo." Goku said. Lucia nodded silently in confirmation. "There is nothing to worry about Lucia, you know that I'm going to do my best and win." He smiled widely, trying to cheer her up, but it was far from it for Lucia._

" _But what if you can't win?!" Lucia suddenly shouted sadly, much to Goku's surprise. "What if he is stronger than you and that a fight with him will be too much for you to handle?!"_

" _But Lucia, you said yourself that you believe in me that I was going to win against him." Goku said innocently._

" _That was before I saw you being brutally pulverized by Gaito!" Lucia shouted as tears started to form in her eyes. Unable to shout any longer, she looked down on the sand again. "When I saw you all bloodied and beaten back there, my heart shattered in million pieces. Even the thought of losing you for good was too much for me to handle. For someone so sweet and kind, yet someone so brave to be killed by that monster, I just… "Lucia started to sniff and hiccup a bit._

" _Lucia please, don't be so hard on yourself." Goku said gently as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "I understand how you feel, but if I don't fight Piccolo in the tournament, then he will kill everyone on the planet."_

" _You think I don't know that?!" Lucia suddenly shouted again, startling Goku. "You think I don't know what will happen if you fight him?! I saw what Gaito did to you, he didn't show you a shred of mercy, he was going to tear you apart!" She shouted sadly as tears flowed from her eyes as she pounded her arms on his rough chest, but she quickly gave in and buried her face on his chest._

" _Hey, it's okay. Please, calm down." Goku said in soothing voice as he wrapped his arms around Lucia and hugged her, rubbing her back so her sniffs and sobs would subside. Then after she calmed down a bit, he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her eyes with soothing gaze._

" _Listen, I understand that you are worried sick about me and I appreciate it. But this wouldn't be the first time I fight with someone so dangerous, I had a lot of those kind of fights in the past, even in the World Martial Arts Tournaments." Goku smiled as he then looked towards the moonlit sea. "And honestly, every time I fought a very strong opponent, it simply excited me to no end and I always found ways to push my limits to greater heights, like I did with Gaito." He then looked at Lucia. "Well, with your help, that is. The point is that if I turned my nose from the bad guys, it wouldn't have stopped them from hurting innocent people." He then smirked confidently as he pumped his right fist. "Besides, I promised to myself that I will use every ounce of energy to protect you. I am not going to let anyone, especially Piccolo, lay a hand on you."_

 _Lucia looked at him with innocent expression before she closed her eyes and smiled gently._

" _I'm sorry I yelled at you Goku." Lucia smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at Goku again. "Like you said, I was just worried sick, that's all."_

" _Don't worry, I understand." Goku smiled._

" _I guess you are just too adorable for me to let you go like that." Lucia smiled cutely, making Goku snicker childishly with a wide, toothy grin._

" _But…" She said, making Goku look at her innocently. "Even though I know I can't stop you for having a good fight, I want you to promise me one thing." She frowned sadly again._

" _Sure." Goku said._

" _Promise me that you will make it out of that battle alive." Lucia frowned sadly before she smiled gently, averting her gaze and blushed a bit in embarrassment. "So we can do this again. I really love being with you, just the two of us beneath the moonlight." Lucia smiled gently as she looked at Goku lovingly. Goku looked at her innocently before he too smiled._

" _I promise Lucia." Goku said he nodded. Lucia smiled as she scooted next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder again, with Goku leaning his head on hers as he smiled too, looking at a full moon._

* * *

" _Don't worry Lucia. That is a promise that I intend to keep."_ Goku thought as the flashbacks ceased, with the spiky-haired warrior looking at Piccolo sternly as the drums started to pound at a slow pace before they sped up faster and faster overtime.

"We're with you Goku!" Bulma cheered.

"Pummel him, yeah!" Launch said as she was punching Oolong on his head, much like Bulma tends to do.

"Good luck Goku!" Hanon cheered. Gaito, Sara and Rina frowned seriously as they were silently waiting for the match to begin, while Karen, Noel and Coco also cheered Goku on. Lucia frowned worryingly as she cupper her hands in prayer.

" _Be careful Goku."_ Lucia thought.

" **Ready?! On my mark, get set, begin!"** The announcer said as the gong was struck.

"HAAAAAAAAAA!" Goku and Piccolo shouted as they charged at each other, with their right elbows and left knees colliding, starting a momentary struggle. Then they slightly dashed back and both started to deliver a flurry of punches and kicks, with the two fighters blocking every single one for the moment. Then their right fists clashed and Goku threw left hook, which Piccolo dodged and threw right roundhouse kick, which Goku blocked, but immediately Piccolo threw right elbow strike right on Goku's face, sending him flying back, but Goku immediately flipped backwards and charged at Piccolo. Piccolo was caught in slight surprise as Goku threw a flurry of furious punches and kicks, with Piccolo barely blocking every single one.

" **Wow, Goku is on the roll as he immediately went on the offensive, which is definitely giving Junior a run for his money as he is barely keeping up with Goku's speed!"** The announcer said.

A moment or two later, Goku disappeared and reappeared behind Piccolo, about to throw a punch, but Piccolo caught his fist. Goku and Piccolo grunted and gritted their teeth as they came to a momentary struggle. Then Goku threw a right kick in the ribs, followed by left uppercut and right punch to the face, sending Piccolo flying. But in mid-air, he extended his left and grabbed Goku's face, immediately swinging him like a whip and slamming him into the ground, leaving a small crater in the ring. Then he swung Goku again as he slammed him in front of him and immediately he retracted his arm, followed by crushing punch in the gut, making Goku gag a bit. Lucia, Hanon and Rina gasped slightly by the painful punch Goku received. Piccolo continued to deliver several more punches to the gut before he swung his hand backwards and threw Goku, soon after followed by an energy attack from his right hand. The blast made contact and delivered a small explosion that evaporated an entire section of the wall leading to the competitor's hall. But as the smoke cleared, Goku used the Afterimage Technique by leaving a blurry illusion of himself. Soon after, Piccolo was caught off guard as Goku delivered a powerful right knee attack to the gut, making Piccolo gag loudly from pain. Goku then delivered a left elbow strike behind Piccolo's neck before he threw a left reverse roundhouse kick. Goku didn't stop there as he charged at his opponent, but Piccolo rebounded and charged at Goku, with the two fighters delivering simultaneous punches on each other's faces, sending them flying backwards. But the two fighters took the blows with only a few scratches on their faces as they flipped backwards a few times and landed on the ring, standing upright and locking their stern gazes on each other. The crowd cheered after a few moments of silence.

" **What an explosive start of the final round! After the two contestants delivered crushing blows that would surely send an ordinary man to the hospital for good, Goku and Junior are back into the fight without tiring out whatsoever!"** The announcer said.

" _Piccolo sure is amazing, all those blows and he is barely even breathing hard. I know I have to win this, but I can't help but be excited in front of the challenge."_ Goku thought as he smirked, taking his fighting stance.

" _It sickens me to admit it, but it looks like his fighting skills have tremendously improved. Looks like he isn't the slacker that I thought he was after our last battle. But it doesn't matter, I'm still going to break him."_ Piccolo thought as he smirked cockily, also taking his fighting stance.

"It looks like they are evenly matched." Tien said.

"So far. Remember that the fight has only just begun. Who knows how powerful those two really are." Master Roshi said seriously.

"But Master Roshi, even though Piccolo is strong, Goku is stronger, right?" Krillin said in slight worry.

"I honestly can't say, at least not yet." Master Roshi said.

" **Get ready folks, for it seems round two is about to commence!"** The announcer said.

Piccolo charged at Goku, throwing a left jab, but Goku jumped above him and was about to deliver a right roundhouse kick in mid-air, but Piccolo grabbed his leg on time and smashed him on the ground. He then threw a right punch, but Goku immediately tilted his head to the right, dodging the punch that drilled through the ground. While he was still down, Goku kicked Piccolo with both of his feet, sending him flying in the air, then he immediately got up and dashed to the other side of the ring. Piccolo soon after recovered and extended his hands, firing a volley of energy blasts straight at Goku.

"Kamehame… HAAAAAA!" Goku fired a quick Kamehameha Wave that plowed through the volley of energy blasts straight towards Piccolo. Soon enough, Goku found out that Piccolo also used the Afterimage Technique and reappeared behind Goku, about to deliver a double axe handle attack, but Goku barely managed to block it. Then he tilted his attack and threw a left roundhouse kick, but Piccolo ducked and threw a right uppercut, followed by left punch to the face that sent Goku flying again. Piccolo did not stop as he charged at Goku, but Goku soon after recovered and caught his fist. Piccolo threw his left fist as well, but Goku caught it too, ending in a contest of strength between the two fighters.

"Wow, this fight is intense." Hanon said in amazement and awe.

"You can say that again." Rina frowned slightly, in similar state like Hanon. Lucia remained silent and looked at Goku in worry that he will be alright at the end of the fight.

Back to the ring, Goku and Piccolo gritted their teeth as they were slowly starting to increase their energy to boost their strength, but it again ended in a stalemate as they are starting to break through the ring. Soon enough, both of them started to form an aura of energy around them, with Goku's being red and Piccolo's being blue.

He pulled Piccolo towards him and was about to kick him with both of his feet, but Piccolo quickly picked up on his plan and flipped backwards, using his arm to nudge backwards and land on his feet. Goku then dashed towards Piccolo and threw a right punch, but Piccolo grabbed his arm over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground, before he delivered a powerful blow to the gut, making Goku gag loudly in pain. Piccolo grinned wickedly before he threw another punch, which this time Goku blocked with both of his arms, smirking confidently. Piccolo growled angrily as he threw a punch that drilled through the ring, but Goku rolled sideways and stood up. Piccolo immediately charged at Goku, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks before he kneed him in the stomach and then kicked him in the face, sending him flying into the air. He then dashed upward at fast speed, flying above Goku and descended fast, delivering a hard double axe handle on the back, sending Goku crashing into the ground, creating a big hole where Goku fell down.

"Goku!" Lucia gasped loudly in worry. Piccolo grinned wickedly again as he descended back to the ring. Everyone looked at shock, but after a while, rubbles in the hole started to move. Then Goku jumped through the rubble high in the air.

"Look, he made it!" Hanon exclaimed cheerfully.

"Phew! I was so worried." Lucia sighed in relief, placing her hand on her chest.

"It's gonna take more than a little fall to stop him." Launch smirked to Lucia with folded arms before she looked back at Goku.

Goku flipped forward a few times and landed gracefully back to the ring.

"Hi, you missed me?" Goku said cheerfully with a toothy grin, much to Piccolo's frustration as he groaned slightly in annoyance, but in the end he regained that cocky smirk on his face. The crowd cheered loudly as the fighters were giving one hell of a show.

"So, you're still alive?" Piccolo smirked as he folded his arms arrogantly.

"You are not going to get rid of me that easily, though I have to admit, that last attack made me a little sore." Goku smiled as he cracked his neck left and right.

"Now what do you say we fight for real? That was a good enough warm up." Piccolo said arrogantly.

"Yeah, bring it on. Let's stop fooling around and show me your true power." Goku smirked confidently.

"Be careful what you wish for, it may destroy you." Piccolo said arrogantly as he lifted his shoulderpadded cloak and threw it behind him with a heavy thud that drilled through the ground a bit out of bounds.

"Whoah. I had no idea you were wearing weighted clothes too." Goku looked at Piccolo innocently.

"What, thought you were the only one?" Piccolo smirked as he removed the turbine next, also throwing it behind him before he rubbed his neck and shoulders. "Oh yeah, I feel much lighter now."

"I that case, I have no choice but to do it as well." Goku smirked confidently as he started to take off his shirt.

" **The heat is beginning to take its toll on the fighters! For Goku and Junior both, as Junior removed his cloak and turban and with Goku removing some of his uniform as well! An unusual solution from both of the fighters, but then these two titans aren't your everyday warriors! The speed with which they hurl themselves around the ring is nothing short of outrageous, one can hardly hope to catch but a glimpse of the action short of slowing down time itself. At this point, it's anyone's guess as to which one will go the distance!"** The announcer said.

"Wait a minute, what is going on here?" Yamcha said.

"I have no idea. Piccolo threw that cape as if he had a ton of steel in it." Krillin said, perplexed that he moved around with all that weight this entire time. Goku had a little difficulty removing the undershirt, but he eventually did. The crowd had no idea what they were doing, but with fight as intense as this one, it was no surprise as they thought they were finally going all out. They weren't far from the truth.

Lucia, Hanon and Rina couldn't help but blush at Goku's physique, along with Karen, Noel and Coco. True, Tien was also incredibly buffed and ripped, but Coco couldn't help but blush at Goku's physique since he too looked as if he was made out of marble.

"Hey, Goku!" Tien suddenly said, going towards Goku as he was pretty much left in the dark at what was going on. "Can I have a look at your shirt?"

"What? Sure." Goku nodded innocently as he put on his orange shirt. Tien went to pick up the black undershirt, but to his surprise, it didn't even budge.

"Wha… what is this?!" Tien said. Tien now struggled a bit as he lifted his shirt with moderate difficulty. "Goku, this thing weighs a ton! Have you been wearing it for the entire tournament?!" Tien asked in outraged voice.

"Yup, Kami told me to, it was part of my training." Goku smiled as he removed his wristbands next, who fell down in similar heavy thud before he sat down. "It's not much different from Master Roshi's style, he wore a heavy turtle shell to gain strength. It's pretty much the same principle here." Goku smiled as he removed his boots.

"Your wristbands as well? And your boots?" Asked perplexed Tien as he took heavy wristbands and even heavier boots in his hands.

"Uhh, Tien Shinhan, could you please exit the ring? This is a tournament." The announcer asked politely. Goku and Tien looked at the announcer before Krillin and Yamcha also went into the ring.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Krillin asked as he went towards them. "Don't worry about this stuff, we'll take care of it."

"Thanks Krillin, I appreciate it." Goku smiled.

"Come on Tien, let's go. Goku has a fight to win." Yamcha said as he took the black undershirt from Tien. Much to his surprise, it was a lot heavier than he thought.

"Hey, what the… what is this?" Krillin said as he lifted Goku's boots, just as shocked as Yamcha.

"Man, this thing is really heavy, this is unlike any shirt I've ever seen before." Yamcha said as he could moderately hold the weight on his arms. Goku couldn't help but laugh childishly.

"I don't know how you can even walk in these led boots, let alone fight." Krillin said as he put on Goku's boots. He could barely even move his legs, let alone walk properly.

"It wasn't easy at all, each of those boots weigh about fifty kilos. My feet have never felt so sore." Goku smiled, which shocked Tien, Yamcha and Krillin even more.

" _I don't believe this guy. He'll do anything to get stronger."_ Tien thought.

"I can barely even move, good thing there is no water around." Krillin said as he made two steps only with Goku's boots on. Tien then placed Goku's wristbands on Yamcha's shirt, making it slightly heavier.

"Man, I say I carry about two hundred kilos." Yamcha said.

"Are you kidding?! Two hundred kilos?!" Krillin shouted out in shock.

"You can't be serious!" Gaito suddenly shouted out in outrage. The mermaid princesses were equally shocked, baffled at the amount of weight Goku wore on himself this whole time.

"Two… two h-hundred… kilos?" Lucia said, her voice trembling in shock. This whole time he carried that much weight? Then again, that would explain why he never wanted to give her his black undershirts, it would basically crush her body if he was insane to give it to her, but fortunately he wasn't. At least not entirely.

"This guy is not normal, it's like tying up a tank on the top of your head as a summer hat." Karen said, about as equally baffled as the rest of Goku's friends.

" _That would explain his dramatic increase in power and speed when we fought back then."_ Gaito thought as he growled slightly, folding his arms again.

"Well, if you count the boots, that's three hundred kilos. It's only recently that I increased the weight, so I can…" Goku said before suddenly, Piccolo fired a yellow blast of energy. Goku and his friends barely had enough time to see the attack coming and dash sideways to avoid the attack.

"Hey! What's your problem?!" Goku frowned angrily.

"Either leave the ring now or I'll kill you all where you stand! No more stalling!" Piccolo exclaimed angrily.

"Alright alright, you made your point." Goku frowned seriously before he looked at his friends. "Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, you better leave the ring, this fight is far from over."

"Right." Krillin, Yamcha and Tien nodded before they left the ring. Goku then stood up and locked his stern gaze at Piccolo's, who smirked arrogantly in turn. But soon enough, whispers started to spread among the crowd. Due to Piccolo's enhanced hearing, he knew that the crowd whispered about him and his striking resemblance to King Piccolo. It aggravated him to no end that they were so brainless to the truth before them.

"Uh oh, looks like the crowd is starting to realize." Tien frowned seriously.

"This could turn ugly real fast." Yamcha said.

"That looks like King Piccolo." One of the frightened spectators said.

"It' can't be true." The other spectator said.

"SILENCE, YOU WORMS!" Piccolo suddenly snapped, shouting out in fury. "I AM KING PICCOLO REINCARNATED!"

It was by that loud and furious statement that seeped fear and terror into the hearts of all the spectators, the information quickly spreading like a plague. Junior finally relinquished his fake alias and officially revealed his true self to the audience.

"Let it be known throughout the world! Once I've disposed of Goku, I will be your king once again!" Piccolo declared as he turned to the crowd. "Not only has King Piccolo been reborn, but his reign of terror as well!" Piccolo said as he started to laugh out loud like a maniac, which was only louder as he found sadistic pleasure in the people's reaction to the news, their faces filled with indescribable horror. It didn't take long for the crowd to quickly disperse, which Oolong sneakily tried to do the same.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going, pig?" Launch said as he grabbed his shirt. Oolong tried to squirm out of her grip, but it was useless against someone like her. As for the mermaid princesses, they couldn't help but have a surge of fear coursing in their hearts as Piccolo continued to laugh sadistically. They didn't know that an ancient horror like him could have such an effect on people.

The entire island heard the news of King Piccolo's return, so the citizens didn't waste a second as they all started to evacuate the island to avoid Piccolo's murderous wrath. As for the tournament itself, it wasn't much of a tournament now as it quickly got deserted, with the exception of Goku's friends and the announcer. After that little satisfaction, Piccolo smirked as he returned his attention to Goku, who didn't even flinch from the terror before him.

" **Attention ladies and gentlemen, if you can hear my voice, it's true, the fighter known as Junior is in fact King Piccolo!"** The announcer said with his microphone, hiding behind a wall next to the mermaid princesses. Karen merely approached the announcer and smacked him in the head.

"We are the only ones here, in case you haven't noticed!" Karen exclaimed.

"Well, no use in staying here, let's meet up with Yamcha and the others." Bulma said.

"Right." Hanon and Rina said as they followed Bulma, along with the others who spectated the fight with them, leaving the announcer all alone. Realizing that, he sprinted and caught up with them out of fear.

"Now, where were we? Oh yes, I was going to go all out and kill you." Piccolo grinned wickedly as he clenched his fist.

"We'll see about that." Goku said as he too clenched his fists, slowly building up his energy and increasing his power. No one dared to utter a word as silence now permeated the ring, with the two fighters not averting their stern gazes from one another. The storm clouds started to form in the sky around the entire island and beyond by the combined power that radiated from their bodies, with occasional lightning and winds forming around them. Soon enough, a dome of energy formed around them, with Goku's being red and Piccolo's being blue. They gritted their teeth as they continued to increase their energy and soon after, the ground beneath their feet started to shake in an earthquake, spreading around them as neither of the two fighters gave an inch.

"Whoah, their energies are off the charts!" Krillin exclaimed.

"Yeah, no kidding, both of them are on fire!" Yamcha frowned seriously. But due to the magnitude of their power, the competitor's hall started to crumble until it collapsed in and on itself.

"Look out!" Rina exclaimed as everyone in the group avoided the debris that crumbled from the building. As they continued to increase their powers, the walls around the tournament grounds started to crumble into rubble, until the earthquake spread across the entire island where the citizens panicked as they could feel the intensity of the earthquake while they were boarding the cruise ships. However, even though the earthquake wasn't that strong, it still made all of the windows on the buildings shatter and small, wooden houses crumble in the distance far away from the tournament grounds. Back to the ring, the energy now became so massive that electricity started to form between the two fighters. They grunted loudly as they were nearing their full power.

"What an amazing amount of power!" Tien exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, it's unfathomable." Master Roshi said, about as baffled as everyone else.

"HAAAAAAAA!" Goku and Piccolo shouted as they charged at each other and their domes of energy clashed, with sparks of lightning forming due to collision. The two fighters shouted as they now clashed their elbows, with blinding light following soon after. After the light died down, the two fighters were still in the same position when their elbows clashed. Then with blinding speed they started to throw a flurry of punches and kicks. Piccolo then punched Goku in the gut, but Goku immediately retaliated with a punch to the face before they resumed with their ruthless attacks. Then after a while, they grabbed each other's arms, again ending up at who will overpower their opponent. But as the two fighters locked their gazes, Goku noticed that Piccolo's eyes started to glow red. He quickly picked up on his intention as he ducked and avoided Piccolo's eye beam attack, immediately retaliating by kicking him with both of his feet. Piccolo did not loosen his grip however as he extended him arms and smacked Goku a few times on the ground. Goku thought quickly as he used his feet to free himself and flip backwards on Piccolo's arms, kneeing him in the face. Then Goku jumped down and kicked Piccolo in the ribs. Then he disappeared and reappeared in front of Piccolo, charging up his one handed Kamehameha Wave and fired it straight at Piccolo. Goku was caught by surprise as Piccolo yet again used the Afterimage Technique. This time he didn't had time to defend himself as Piccolo punched Goku in the face hard, sending him skidding to the edge of the ring and almost out of bounds. Goku gritted his teeth as he rubbed his face for pain to subside.

"Goku, look out!" Lucia exclaimed in worry. Goku then regained his focus as Piccolo was about to deliver a double axe handle, but using his speed, Goku disappeared, with Piccolo's attack only smashing through a section of the ring. Piccolo immediately stood up, but to his surprise, Goku was nowhere to be seen.

"Amazing. Goku completely vanished without a trace." Tien said as he frowned seriously.

"Piccolo won't stand a chance if he keeps him guessing." Master Roshi said.

"I wouldn't count on it." Gaito said with folded arms, drawing the attention of Master Roshi, Krillin, Yamcha and Tien.

All of Piccolo's senses were on alert as he tried to find Goku. Soon enough, he guessed right as he elbowed Goku in the face to his right, sending him flying and crashing into a pile of rubble that was the wall of the ring, grinning wickedly.

"Oh no!" Hanon exclaimed.

"Goku!" Bulma exclaimed. But their worries were short lived as there wasn't even a trace of Goku in the rubble.

"What? He disappeared." Krillin asked in surprise.

"Wha… where is he?" Piccolo asked in slight shock that he recovered so quickly, not aware that Goku appeared behind him.

"I'm back here." Goku smirked as he kicked Piccolo in the face. Piccolo quickly got back into the fight, but using his speed, Goku got quickly behind Piccolo again and delivered a punch to the gut. Goku raised it up a notch on his speed as he delivered a flurry of punches at Piccolo. The demon king could only block a few of his punches, but most past through is defenses. Then Goku jumped above him and landed behind, immediately delivering a kick that sent Piccolo flying back. However, Piccolo immediately recovered as he jumped in the air with his hands and started to levitate. He was starting to grow furious as Goku is gaining the upper hand, wiping a drop of blood from his mouth.

"That was a lucky shot, human!" Piccolo shouted in outrage.

"Yeah, heard that one before!" Goku exclaimed.

"I had enough of these games, it's time to put an end to your miserable existence once and for all!" Piccolo shouted as insanity and desperation is beginning to take hold in his mind. Then he extended his hands straight towards Goku on the ground, much to the shock of Goku and his friends.

"Wha… what's he doing?" Krillin said in frightened voice.

"No, he wouldn't." Sara frowned seriously.

"He would." Gaito said. Goku glanced at the group to his right before looking back at Piccolo, who started to laugh like a lunatic as he was charging his attack.

" _Not good. If that blast goes off right here, then they will all be killed."_ Goku thought, gritting his teeth and growling slightly. Knowing that every second mattered, he thought quickly as he jumped high in the air at fast speed.

"Hey! Over here!" Goku shouted as he jumped to Piccolo's level.

"Yes, stare into the eyes of your killer!" Piccolo shouted as he unleashed a powerful blast of energy.

"That's right, fire at me." Goku said to himself, his plan actually working. Then he used a kiai from his right arm to dash to the right and dodge his blast. The energy attack continued its way until in struck on the mountains in the distance. Soon after the blast went off, a titanic dome of blinding light flashed and a powerful earthquake followed, stronger than the earthquake that Goku and Piccolo caused in their power ups. The entire group, excluding Goku, shielded their eyes and braced themselves for the aftershock of such a powerful attack. After the light died down, a smoke of equal size as the blinding light followed. After it settled down, it was revealed that a large chunk of the island was completely destroyed, with the sea water flooding into the massive crater left in the wake of such a powerful blast.

Unfortunately for Piccolo, Goku managed to dodge his attack as he was spinning sideways uncontrollably.

"Why won't he just die?" Piccolo growled in frustration as Goku used kiai again to launch himself back into the ring.

"Is everyone okay?" Yamcha said he hugged Bulma to shield her from the aftershock of Piccolo's attack.

"I am now." Bulma said in low and soothing voice, looking at Yamcha lovingly. "My hero." She teased Yamcha. The dashing warrior couldn't help but laugh nervously a bit.

Coco hid behind Tien Shinhan for protection as well. Tien realized it and looked at Coco with blank expression. When their eyes met, Coco blushed a bit and immediately looked away, playing dumb. Tien raised his eyebrow in confusion, while Launch growled angrily as she stood not far from the two.

"This is starting to get way out of hand." Goku growled angrily.

"Thank goodness, he made it." Lucia sighed in relief as she smiled.

"Thanks to him, all of us have made it. If Goku hadn't drawn his fire, none of us would be here right now." Master Roshi frowned seriously.

"Yeah, no kidding." Hanon said in frightened voice.

"That was just a glimpse of my power, I can destroy you anytime if I wish." Piccolo grinned wickedly.

"Oh yeah?! Well, here's a surprise from me to you!" Goku shouted as he placed his hands to his right side. "Super Kamehameha!"

"What?" Piccolo raised his eyebrow as his face went serious.

"Kaaameee…"

"What did he say?" Yamcha said.

"A Super Kamehameha Wave?" Tien said.

"Haaameee…" Goku said as bluish-white rays radiated from his palms, charging more energy into his attack. Piccolo was starting to be concerned as that kind of attack would definitely obliterate him if he is to take it on. But just before Goku was about to launch his attack…

"Goku, wait! Don't do it!" Master Roshi suddenly shouted out, making Goku cancel his attack. "Have you forgotten? If you attack him with that much energy, then not only will you kill Piccolo, but Kami as well."

"Yeah, that's right. Great." Goku growled as he looked up towards Piccolo, who was again laughing out loud.

"Too bad, but I'm sure Kami thanks you from the bottom of my heart!" Piccolo shouted as he laughed again.

"Darn you!" Goku gritted his teeth in frustration.

"You think you can beat me? Well you can forget about it, not without jeopardizing you precious Kami. I've already won this battle!" Piccolo started to laugh like a lunatic again as he was starting to glow with yellow aura.

"What tremendous energy." Master Roshi said as he frowned seriously.

"This time there is no diverging his attack, he is going to finish us all off with that blast." Gaito said grimly.

"What?!" The entire group exclaimed in shock and fear as they all looked at Gaito before they turned their attention towards their only savior.

" _What am I going to do now? The same tactic won't work twice."_ Goku thought as he gritted his teeth angrily, looking towards the gang to his right, specifically Lucia, who had a very concerned look on her face. This time he was completely cornered and he has no choice but to make the ultimate sacrifice. _"I'm sorry Kami, I have no choice but to stop him before he kills my friends."_

"Kaaameee… Haaameeee…" Goku chanted as he charged his Super Kamehameha again, this time with nothing stopping him from executing his energy attack.

"You decided to go out with a bang? THEN ITS YOUR FUNERAL!" Piccolo let out a battle cry as he fired an enormous blast of orange energy.

"HAAAAAAAA!" Goku fired a Super Kamehameha wave that was the same size as Piccolo's attack. After their beams collided, shockwave soon followed, along with blinding light and strong winds as Goku and Piccolo struggled to gain advantage in their beam struggle. But after several moments of intense stalemate, Piccolo started to gain the upper hand as he gritted his teeth and was slowly pushing Goku's blast back at him. Realizing this, Goku let out a battle cry of his own as he poured more energy into the attack, quickly overpowering Piccolo's blast and was on its way to the attacker himself.

"How is this possible? I am invincible!" Piccolo shouted out desperately as the attack made contact. Piccolo screamed in horror as the only thing he could do was raise his hands in front of him and try to block the attack. The Kamehameha Wave pierced all the way through the clouds and exploded in blinding light, sending shockwave and strong winds again.

Goku panted a bit as he put moderate amount of energy into that attack. The dusty cloud started to settle down and they all looked up to see if Piccolo was gone for good. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case as he was still alive and well, with only his clothes suffering damage, the right side of his shirt and pants disintegrated.

"Darn it. I held back too much power." Goku said seriously as he straightened himself. "Guess I couldn't do it, not without killing Kami along with Piccolo."

As for Piccolo, he looked furious to say the least.

"You have failed Goku! You thought your simple parlor tricks could destroy me? Well think again, cause I'm still here!" Piccolo shouted out in fury.

"Yeah, I know. Are you going to float up there all day or can we continue this fight?" Goku said in annoyance. Piccolo in turn started to hover down and landed on the ring with furious expression, growling angrily as veins popped on his forehead. Goku was not fazed as he looked at Piccolo with stern, unwavering gaze.

"Unbelievable. He actually survived Goku's Kamehameha Wave." Karen said in shock and awe.

"This is unreal, how strong is this guy?" Noel said in slightly trembling voice.

"Piccolo's power is indeed far greater than the last time we fought him." Tien said.

"Yes. His hatred and thoughts of vengeance against Goku must have made him train and push his powers beyond their limitations. Much like Goku tends to do so very often." Master Roshi said.

"Well, so far it would seem that Goku has the upper hand. Let's just hope he can keep this up." Rina frowned slightly. Lucia said nothing as she continued to look at Goku with sad frown, cupping her hands as she could only pray that Rina's words were true and that Goku will win in the end.

A few moments of silence passed as neither of the fighters uttered a word. Goku's friends also looked at him in silence, waiting for his next move.

"I had enough!" Piccolo growled as he finally broke the silence, much to Goku's slight confusion. "This whole charade ends now. I will no longer be chained to this ring like a dog." He said as he hovered in the air and extended his hands towards the ring.

"Hold on. What are you doing?" Goku frowned seriously.

"What do you think? I waited three years for my revenge, I will not be confined to that accursed ring anymore!" Piccolo shouted as he charged his energy attack. Goku's eyes went wide in shock as he knew he wasn't bluffing at all.

"Hey! Get away from the ring! Now!" Goku shouted out to the group. Then Piccolo finally destroyed the ring, along with the entire tournament facility. Piccolo grinned wickedly now that he knows that he will go all out against Goku with no restrictions whatsoever. Now there was nothing left of the tournament grounds but a big crater. Fortunately, the group reacted quickly as Tien scooped up Coco and Launch, Bulma, Puar and Oolong by Yamcha, Sara by Gaito, Noel by Krillin and Hippo rescued Lucia, Hanon, Rina, Karen, Yuri and the announcer by quickly transforming in his hippocampus form.

"That maniac. He completely destroyed the ring." Yamcha said seriously.

"Man, this is getting out of control." Krillin frowned in worry.

"Thanks Krillin." Noel smiled gently and blushed a bit.

"Huh?" Krillin looked at her blankly.

"Thank you for saving my life." Noel smiled.

"Oh come on, it was nothing, really!" Krillin laughed nervously a bit before he spotted a large flying horse of a sort. "What the… what is that thing?" He asked in surprise.

"That's Hippo. He has the ability to turn into hippocampus form that you see right now, increasing his strength and gaining new abilities in the process." Sara said as Gaito was holding her in his arms.

"I had no idea he had that kind of ability." Tien raised his eyebrow curiously. As for Coco and Launch, they frowned angrily at each other before they huffed in frustration and looked away. Tien sweat-dropped by their unusual behavior and was still left in the dark at what's going on between the two.

Then the entire gang started to descend on the ground away from where the tournament ring once was, landing not too far from the fighters. Goku and Piccolo hovered in the air with everpresent stern gazes on their faces. The first to descend on the ground was Piccolo, followed by Goku.

"Hey! Piccolo landed first out of the ring, that counts as a ring out, right?!" Launch said as she grabbed the announcer by the collar. The poor man was practically speechless the whole time by the theatrics he witnesses so far, but he was still foolish enough to stay to the tournament guidelines, even though the tournament was over for Goku and Piccolo.

"Ugh… well, Junior was first to land before Goku out of the ring, so that does count as a ring out!" The announcer said, drawing the attention of Goku and Piccolo, much to Goku's confusion and Piccolo's utter frustration.

"This guy has lost his mind. Doesn't he realize that this is no longer a tournament?" Rina said.

"Apparently not." Hanon said simply.

"The winner of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament is…" But before he could even finish that sentence, he was interrupted with an energy beam to the chest, much to everyone's shock and surprise, including Goku's. The announcer puked out blood as his body fell down on the ground.

"Hey, what's the deal?! He couldn't even defend himself, you cold-blooded murderer!" Goku shouted out in fury.

"He was getting on my nerves, the moron's blatant ignorance was hurting my brain." Piccolo said casually, making Goku even angrier.

"Krillin, give that guy a Senzu Bean right now!" Goku shouted out. Even though Krillin, Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu acquired the beans from Korin, the keeper of the tower never bothered to tell them about the healing properties of Senzu's for some reason, aside from the fact that it can fill you up for ten whole days, which is why they were looking at Goku with puzzled looks.

"Senzu Bean? What for?" Krillin asked in confusion.

"Just do it!" Goku shouted out, startling Krillin a bit.

"Okay okay, I'll do it. I don't see what's the deal though." Krillin said to himself at the last sentence before he pulled out a Senzu Bean from his pocket and grabbed the announcer behind his head. "You really are a moron, this is not a tournament anymore, you know." Krillin said as he fed the bean to the man. The announcer chewed on it slowly, having no clue as how that would help. But much to his surprise, and to Master Roshi, Krillin, Yamcha, Bulma, Launch, Oolong and Puar, the announcer's wounds was completely healed. Tien, Gaito, Hippo, Yuri and the mermaid princesses knew of its healing effect, so it was no surprise to them.

"What? No way!" Yamcha exclaimed in surprise.

"His wound is completely healed, as if it was never inflicted." Master Roshi said.

"I didn't know the beans can heal you, as well as fill you up." Krillin said in amazement. The announcer was still baffled at how his chest wound was completely gone after eating that strange bean.

"Wha… what happened? How did I even…"

"Listen, you idiot." Gaito interrupted the announcer mid- sentence from behind him. "This is no longer a tournament, this is a fight to the death for the fate of the world. Unless you don't want to be nearly killed again, I suggest you keep quiet and let Goku handle it from here. Got it?" He said sternly. The announcer was yet again frightened as he silently nodded.

"The same goes for you, blondie, so keep your mouth shut." Gaito said as he turned his attention to Launch.

"Don't make me put a bullet in your mouth, you emo freak!" Launch shouted angrily.

"And ill blast you into oblivion if you utter a word one more time!" Gaito exclaimed in frustration.

"Launch!" Bulma suddenly said, drawing Launch's attention. But Bulma merely shook her head silently with serious expression, knowing that Gaito wasn't bluffing about killing her and not aggravate him further. Launch merely grunted angrily as she folded her arms, returning her attention back to the fight.

"Now you listen here Piccolo! If you lay a hand on my friends one more time, I will destroy you!" Goku said furiously as he clenched his fists in determination, but Piccolo merely laughed arrogantly.

"Oh please, you can't fool me Goku. We both know that you can't do it because your heart bleeds for a weakling like Kami and your friends over there." Piccolo grinned wickedly.

"Oh yeah? Try me." Goku frowned angrily as he took his fighting stance.

"Whatever takes you to your coffin quickly. And my latest technique will make sure of that." Piccolo said.

"What?" Goku said. But Piccolo said nothing as he clenched his fists and focused his energy into something that Goku is yet to see. A faint, yellow aura yet again formed around him, pebbles on the ground floating and disintegrating from the magnitude of Piccolo's aura. Then blue lines formed across his entire body and soon enough, his body started to grow more and more. Even Goku was caught off guard as Piccolo's size grew until he was as big as a giant, only slightly shorter than Gaito's dragon form.

Piccolo laughed out loud as his victory was seemingly assured now that he has increased his size. But Goku remained as confident as ever as he took his fighting position. Piccolo grinned maliciously as he finally commenced his attack, punching through the ground when Goku dodged. Then Piccolos swung his hand towards the group, sending a short, but strong wind in their direction. Piccolo continued with his assault, trying to crush and stomp his opponent into puddles of blood, but Goku continued to dodge his attacks nimbly. He had to admit, on second thought he was actually glad that he destroyed the ring and cancelled the tournament, now he can move around freely with no restrictions whatsoever. Even if the announcer was to officially name him a world champion by technicality, it wouldn't matter to Goku in the slightest as he still has an opponent to beat.

However, he had no idea how to counter Piccolo' size increasing technique. He was almost in the same position as he was when he fought Gaito back then. But now he could handle somewhat his oversized opponent by only dodging until he can form a strategy. Piccolo continued to laugh as he threw one punch and stomp after another. Goku even started to dash between buildings which Piccolo easily destroyed with a swipe of his hand, as if they were made of paper. Goku dashed from the crumbled building onto the next building. Piccolo used his eyebeams in horizontal line to attack Goku, but the spiky-haired warrior dodged again, ending up in only a row of buildings crumbling into ruins. Goku used the opportunity to hide behind one of the buildings who were still intact.

" _Well, this seems familiar. How am I going to beat him now that he is the size of a giant?"_ Goku thought as he was brewing a plan on how to counter his technique. _"His size may have increased, but I don't feel any difference in his power. That's strange."_

But before Goku could think any further, he heard a rumbling noise that appeared to be heading his way. In a slight panic, he dashed sideways at fast speed as Piccolo charged through a building as if it was nothing, completely destroying it. Goku the used his speed to sprint a good distance away from him. But the murderous villain did not stop as he charged through another building, swiping it away and immediately throwing a crushing punch, but fortunately Goku dodged it. However, in one moment he was caught by surprise as Piccolo managed to land a blow and slam him into the ground, temporarily stunning him. He had no idea that his friends were nearby, catching up with him to get a good view of the fated fight.

Picoolo grinned wickedly as he was slowly making his way to finish his victim off. But just as he was about to stomp his opponent good…

"Goku, let us help you!" Tien suddenly shouted out.

"Yes, we can win if we fight together!" Krillin shouted as well.

"Please Goku, let your friends help you beat him!" Lucia shouted in great worry, but Goku merely smiled as he was slowly getting up.

"No, stay where you are. I can still beat him, alone." Goku smiled as he stood upright.

"Stop being so stubborn, will ya?! If you don't let your friends help you, then you will die!" Hanon shouted.

"Come on Goku, just let us join the fight with you!" Rina frowned seriously.

"I said no!" Goku suddenly shouted, startling Lucia, Hanon and Rina, along with Tien, Krillin and Yamcha a bit. "I told you to stay back! I can still beat him, but only if you don't interfere!" He said sternly. In the end, his friends backed down with disappointed expressions, but it was for their own good. But Piccolo laughed arrogantly as he found his statement absurd and funny.

"Fool. If you think you can beat me in this state, then you are sadly mistaken!" Piccolo grinned wickedly.

"Oh yeah? Why don't we try fighting? You can come over and see for yourself." Goku said confidently as he took his fighting position again.

"My pleasure!" Piccolo grinned as he exhaled hardly, throwing a strong arc of wind that made a small explosion on the ground. But this time Goku was on the offensive as he dashed and spinned forward, before he dashed again and kicked Piccolo behind his knee, making him lose his balance and supporting himself with his arms. Goku took the advantage of it and grabbed his index finger. Much to everyone's shock as their eyes went wide in surprise, Goku actually managed to lift a giant overhead and slam him into the ground with relative ease, much to Piccolo's embarrassment and surprise. Even thought Tien, Master Roshi, Yamcha, Krillin, Bulma, Ooolong, Puar and Launch were utterly shocked that he was capable of such a feat, Gaito, Hippo, Yuri and the mermaid princesses were shocked to a lesser degree, since he did manage to throw Gaito in his dragon form into the sea like a ragdoll. Still it wasn't a normal sight for someone so small to casually slam a giant into the ground.

"Wow, incredible!" Krillin exclaimed.

"Only he can do something like that." Yamcha said in shock.

"Piccolo achieved quite a feat. Despite his increase in size, it didn't sacrifice his speed." Master Roshi said as he looked at Piccolo before he turned his attention to Goku. "But Goku clearly had a course on how to defy the laws of physics. After expelling a great amount of energy into his Kamehameha Wave, he managed to topple a giant." He said.

Piccolo then stood up and growled furiously.

"You'll pay for that!" Piccolo exclaimed as he continued his assault, again trying to smash and stomp Goku. But Goku continued to dodge his attacks. Piccolo slammed another building Goku latched onto before his opponent landed on the street level again. Then he smashed into the ground and Goku dashed sideways to avoid the attack. In frustration, Piccolo grabbed a nearby car and threw it at Goku. Goku barely had the time as he stopped himself and laid down on the ground to avoid the incoming car as it flew away and exploded in distance. Piccolo used the opportunity to use eye beams at Goku. Just as it was about to hit him, Goku used the Afterimage Technique to counter it and moved forward at fast speed, dashing on Piccolo's left knee and right fist before kicking him in the eye, with the villain screaming a bit as he rubbed his right eye. Then Goku spinned backwards and dashed again towards Piccolo. But in a swift motion, Piccolo used his left and and punched Goku, pinning him into the ground.

Everyone gasped when Piccolo pinned Goku into the ground.

"Goku!" Lucia shouted worryingly with sad frown. Piccolo grinned wickedly as he now stomped Goku beneath his foot with satisfying conclusion. Lucia covered her mouth in shock that Goku has been crushed. But before any of them could give up hope, much to Piccolo's own shock, Goku was still alive, struggling to lift his foot and free himself. No one uttered a word as they were silently cheering Goku on to make it out of there. In the end, Goku gained the upper hand and threw Piccolo again, making him slam into the ground, much to Piccolo's frustration.

"I HATE YOU!" Piccolo shouted angrily, but Goku merely laughed slightly.

"Your mistake is that you thought your size would scare me. All it really does it make you a bigger target." Goku smirked confidently.

"You think one lucky throw is an accomplishment?" Piccolo grinned as he stood up. "Well, then you are in for a surprise."

"Why do I get the feeling you are about to get taller?" Goku said. His assumption proved to be right as Piccolo was about to just that. Piccolo's body was covered in electricity this time as he grew even taller than he already was to titanic scale, even larger than Gaito's dragon form. Everyone was stunned, shocked, speechless as their fears grew for Goku's wellbeing. This time there was no throwing him around, he was too big to even consider such an option.

"Where's your confidence now?" Piccolo grinned maliciously.

"Goku, get out of there! You can't win!" Yamcha shouted.

"Run before you get flattened!" Krillin shouted.

"This is unreal, it's as if we are in some sort of nightmare." Karen said worryingly.

"Goku, no!" Hanon exclaimed worryingly.

"Now my fingernail is bigger than your body, so you can't throw me anymore. Give up, runt!" Piccolo grinned, his victory seemingly assured. But Goku merely smirked confidently.

"It's you who should give up, I've been waiting for this moment!" Goku smirked as he readied himself to execute his master plan.

"Oh? Waiting to die?!" Piccolo said as he tried to stomp Goku again, causing a small earthquake in the process. However, Goku dashed to the sky at high speed to dodge his attack.

"Kamehame… HAAAAA!" Goku fired a Kamehameha Wave, but not towards Piccolo, but the other way around, causing the force of the energy attack to push him right inside his mouth. Surprises just keep lining up as everyone was yet again shocked and surprised as Goku did what even an insane mind wouldn't do.

"What the heck?!" Rina exclaimed in shock.

"He went inside his throat!" Lucia exclaimed, about as shocked as everyone present. Piccolo gagged and coughed as he tried to choke Goku out, but it was useless as Goku went further inside his guts.

"He's crazy!" Krillin exclaimed.

"No, it's his best chance to defeat him." Tien frowned seriously.

"You're both crazy!" Krillin said to Tien, flabbergasted that Tien would support Goku's insane tactic. But within Piccolo's body, Goku pummeled his insides, making Piccolo feel really nauseous on his upper body, only inches away from vomiting. But after an unimaginable duration of pure agony, Piccolo finally managed to spit Goku out, falling down on the ground, leaning on his arms, coughing and breathing hard to compose himself.

"Tien!" Goku shouted as he threw something at him. Tien caught the unknown item and to his surprise upon closer observation, it was the same bottle that Kami was trapped in. Goku actually managed to pull a bottle from his insides.

"What? This is…" Tien said as he looked at Goku.

"OPEN IT RIGHT NOW!" Goku shouted in extreme urgency.

"Right!" Tien nodded.

"What?!" Piccolo said in horror as Tien removed the bottle cap. "STOP IT!" He shouted in desperation, but it was too late as green smoke fumed from the bottle and formed into none other than Guardian of the Earth himself, Kami.

"What?! He looks just like Piccolo!" Lucia exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, only a lot older!" Hanon said. The rest of the group, excluding Goku and Master Roshi, were stunned that he was the Guardian of the Earth they heard about. They knew he was the good guy, judging from that Goku told them before the fight began, but they were still caught by complete surprise that Kami was exact replica of Piccolo, except the fact that he looked extremely old.

"You're Kami, aren't you?" Master Roshi said in calm voice. Kami nodded silently. "You're free now, Goku employed a brilliant strategy to rescue you."

"Goku?" Kami said in surprise as he looked to his left, with Goku smiling and gesturing his two finger victory sign.

"I see. Piccolo reversed the effects of the Evil Containment Wave and trapped me instead." Kami said.

As for Piccolo, he finally recovered and stood up. Realizing the fatal flaw of his technique, he had no choice but to regress back to his normal size.

"That's better. Are you feeling small?" Goku smirked, much to Piccolo's frustration.

"Shut your mouth!" Piccolo growled.

"Calm down. The veins if your forehead are about to explode. You should try to relax." Goku said light-heartedly.

After a lot of twist and turns from both fighters, Goku finally managed to free Kami from his prison inside Piccolo's body. Now that the Guardian of the Earth was free, he can now take down Piccolo without harming Kami at the same time. He knew fully well that he still can't kill him, but he will make sure he gets a good beating before this fight is done and over with.

* * *

 **-SuperKamehameha Thanks bro, yeah pretty much, at least most of it :D The reason why i made Piccolo vs Kami so short is because its basically the same like in the anime.**

 **-Blake2020 Thank a lot, appreciate it :)**

 **-Marin12 Thank you :)**

 **-ShadesofGrey777 Short answer, yes :)**

 **-shadowdispencer Thanks :)**

 **-Guest Shh, don't tell that to those who didn't watch Mermaid Melody series :D**


	26. Chapter 26

~The Victor~

As Piccolo regressed back to his normal size, the entire group sighed in relief, some more so than the others, especially Lucia, Hanon and Rina, along with Krillin and Yamcha.

"Man what a relief. He shrunk back to normal." Hanon smiled.

"That's the confusing part. Does that mean he is giving up?" Lucia asked curiously with innocent expression.

"Not even close." Master Roshi said, gaining their attention. "Piccolo understood the fact that his giant forms are ineffective against Goku's speed and tactics. He had no choice but to return to his normal size and fight him on even ground." He said as Goku was stretching out his legs and arms. "And aside from that, it was the perfect opportunity for Goku to rescue Kami without physically harming Piccolo."

"So you're saying it was a blessing in disguise. If he didn't increase his size when he did, Goku would have to rip his guts out to get the bottle, right?" Gaito said. Some in the group groaned slightly in disgust at his statement, slightly shivering at the thought of that brutal scenery.

"That's exactly right." Master Roshi nodded, not flinching from Gaito's gory statement.

"What are you waiting for? I'm ready when you are." Goku smirked as he took his fighting position.

Piccolo growled as he charged at him. Goku also charged forward, but before their fists would collide, they both disappeared. After a few moments, a complete silence followed as they disappeared from sight.

"They're gone! Now even I can see them!" Kami exclaimed in shock. Is it possible that they have grown so powerful that not even he, the Guardian of the Earth with all of his power, can't even track them? Several moments passed and silence still permeated the ruined city, without a single word spoken or sound made.

"Where… where did they go?" Lucia asked curiously.

"They completely vanished, amazing." Rina frowned slightly. Soon enough, faint sounds of dashes, punches and kicks can be heard in seemingly every direction.

"Do you hear that?" Tien said as he looked left and right.

"Yeah, I hear it too." Krillin said as he too can hear eerie sounds of combat, followed by Gaito, Master Roshi, Yamcha and Kami. Then soon enough, sparks of light struck in one spot, only slightly revealing the two fighters as they clashed at each other before they disappeared again.

"There they are. Man, that's fast." Yamcha said, his eyes and senses barely keeping up with their speed.

"Yeah. They keep popping in one place before they instantly appear in the other spot." Krillin said, struggling just as much as Yamcha.

Then suddenly, a loud, crashing noise can be heard far away from the group. A skyscraper crumbled to ruins as something rushed through it like a comet. When the smoke cleared, it was Goku and Piccolo as Goku threw a punch which Piccolo blocked. Then the two fighters continued with their relentless flurry of punches and kicks, but this time occasional attacks break through their defenses as fatigue is slowly starting to take hold. Then Goku delivered a right hook, followed by Piccolo retaliating with right uppercut, and Goku delivered a left punch to the gut. Then Piccolo threw a left elbow hook and grabbed Goku's leg, spinning him around at fast speed, but Goku immediately retaliated as he used his other leg to kick him in the face, sending his opponent flying back. Goku then charged at him again. Piccolo regained his composure and started to fire a volley of energy attacks while flying back, but Goku nimbly dodged his blasts and charged straight towards his opponent. Piccolo stopped in his assault and threw a punch that Goku dodged and he immediately delivered a knee to the stomach, followed by a double axe handle that sent Piccolo flying towards the ground. Piccolo growled in seething fury as he immediately jumped from the ground and charged at blinding speed towards Goku, sending a headbutt that stunned Goku. He then let out a loud battle cry as he started to pummel Goku with flurry of punches and kicks. Piccolo then threw a left punch to the jaw, followed by kick to Goku's face, sending him flying before Piccolo disappeared and reappeared in the direction where Goku was flying. But just as Piccolo was about to punch him, Goku ducked below and kicked Piccolo with both of his feet, sending him flying upwards. Goku soon after disappeared and reappeared. He tried to punch Piccolo, but he disappeared again, reappearing behind Goku. Each of the fighters kept disappearing and reappearing as they dodged each other's attacks: Piccolo's double axe handle, Goku's punch, Piccolo's punch, Goku's kick before they both disappeared. Then they both reappeared and extended their hands towards one another.

"HYAAAAAAAAAA!" Goku roared.

"HAAAAAAAAAAH!" Piccolo roared.

Goku and Piccolo fired a powerful energy blasts from point blank range at the same time, creating a giant dome of energy before immediately exploding, sending strong winds, with dust and debris picking up fast towards the group. Everyone shielded themselves from the strong winds, with the weaker spectators trying their best not to be blown away by the winds. Soon enough, after the dust settled down, Goku was the only one hovering in the air.

In that moment, Goku lost his momentum for only a second, which was more than what Piccolo needed to send a hard kick to Goku's face, making him gag in pain, spitting out a bit of blood and sending him flying downwards.

Lucia gasped loudly in shock as Goku was plummeting down like a comet. However, Goku was far from over.

"Kamehame…" Goku then spinned forward and…

"HAAAAAA!" He fired a Kamehameha wave using his feet, much to everyone's surprise. Piccolo was caught by surprise as Goku propelled himself like a rocket and delivered a crushing double punch right on Piccolo's face.

"Whoah! Did you see that?!" Karen exclaimed.

"Amazing!" Coco said.

"He actually used his feet for the wave!" Tien said.

"An extraordinary maneuver that only the most disciplined warriors can handle. But worth the effort, as it frees one's hands for combat." Master Roshi said.

Even though Piccolo was stunned after that crushing attack, he recovered and returned the favor by using his antennas, firing a beam of electricity at his opponent. Goku was taken by complete surprise as the beam struck him, stunning him with as much force as Goku did with Piccolo, sending him crashing into the ground. Goku gritted his teeth and was slowly getting up, chuckling a bit.

"Man, what a guy. He just won't stop attacking." Goku chuckled a bit in pain. But his eyes shot wide as Piccolo didn't waste a second and charged at Goku at fast speed, his fist ready.

"Diiiieeee!" Piccolo shouted as he was charging forward.

"NOOO!" Lucia screamed in shock and sorrow. She then closed her eyes, unable to watch as Piccolo was about to deal a finishing blow on her beloved. Most of the group gawked in awe and shock as something had followed that none of them expected. Lucia slowly opened her eyes and she too was surprised that Kami suddenly intervened and blocked Piccolo's punch, with the guardian himself having enough of standing by and watching this atrocity unfold any further.

"You are too old and too weak to defeat me! You should've stayed in that bottle!" Piccolo growled in seething fury as he reluctantly stayed rooted in place, now finding himself in extremely unpleasant situation.

"You forget your place, Piccolo! Goku, join me, together we will stop this fool!" Kami frowned in determination as he shielded the young warrior in order for him to recover.

"What do you think you're doing Kami? Don't interfere!" Goku demanded, much to everyone's great surprise yet again, including Piccolo and Kami.

"What are you saying? I'm here to help you." Kami said.

"No, Piccolo is mine to handle, alone." Goku frowned slightly.

"Seriously?! Again with this?!" Hanon frowned slightly in frustration and outrage.

"Will you just swallow your selfish pride and let us help you for once?!" Karen shouted in outrage.

"Yes, at the rate you are going, you will die before you regret your decision!" Rina shouted in anger and worry.

"That's enough girls." Master Roshi suddenly said with a serious frown, drawing the attention of the mermaid princesses. "This shouldn't be a surprise, Goku has always been like this. He would rather lose the fight rather than let someone help him beat his opponent."

"But Master Roshi, you do realize that the entire planet is at stake if Goku doesn't beat Piccolo?" Krillin said in worried voice.

"Yes, it's something that we try to get through that thick of skull of his for quite some time." Coco frowned slightly.

"Well, that's Goku for you. It would seem that the fate of the world isn't particularly important in his eyes. Fighting opponents that are strong enough to excite him is all he wants." Master Roshi said, much to the slight shock of the mermaid princesses, Gaito, Hippo and Yuri.

"So all those times he fought was just to challenge himself?" Lucia frowned sadly, now having a slightly low opinion on Goku after Master Roshi's words.

"Yes." Master Roshi nodded.

"Man, I had no idea he was such a barbarian." Yuri said with folded arms. The mermaid princesses couldn't help but second her remark after hearing Master Roshi's words. Lucia was the only one who didn't think ill of Goku. She still loves him, but her heart ached in disappointment. This whole time she thought that Goku was fighting for her and his friends, but all that fighting against the Dark Lovers, Black Beauty Sisters and even Gaito was all just to challenge his abilities, not caring how the world would end up? It would make almost anyone turn his back on Goku and portray him as nothing but a singleminded brute with the only thing he is good at is punching people.

"Well, you are not wrong Master Roshi." Goku suddenly said with a smile, gaining the attention of the entire group. "About the part of me challenging myself. It's true, fighting strong opponents always excited me to no end. And even now, I'm having an incredible rush fighting Piccolo. "He then looked at Master Roshi." I honestly never considered myself to be a big shot super hero or anything like that. Like you said, fighting strong opponents is all I ever wanted." Goku smiled before he turned towards Piccolo again. "But, that doesn't mean that I'm going to let cold-blooded freaks like him kill innocent people and destroy the world. That is something I simply won't and can't tolerate." Goku frowned seriously as Piccolo had a wicked grin on his face. Then Goku closed his eyes and smiled soothingly, yet again surprising everyone, including Piccolo and Kami by his unusual behavior at the situation at hand.

"Besides, after spending all those months in South City, I learned a lot of things. Guess I have to thank Lucia and her friends for that." Goku smiled as he turned towards Lucia now, with the pink mermaid princess having a red blush on her face as she looked at Goku with innocent expression. "It really opened my eyes in certain areas, I have experienced feelings that I never knew I had within me. I learned from certain someone that when you fight for those you care about, no force on the planet can stop you. That was the fact I proved in my last battle before I came to this tournament and that is something that I'm going to prove in this fight too." Goku smiled, clenching his fist as he looked at the group, specifically at blushing Lucia. The mermaid noticed as she smiled blissfully.

" _So he is indeed fighting for us. For me."_ Lucia thought as she smiled, her eyes glossy a bit as she placed her hand on her chest and clenched it a bit, silently nodding to her Goku in support. As for Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, Launch, Oolong, Puar and to lesser extent Bulma and Master Roshi, they never knew how much Goku changed in the last three years. Hearing his words, it's almost as if he has a far greater purpose in mind rather than simply indulge himself in the heat of battle. Even the part when he introduced Lucia as his girlfriend was a major twist. Then they all deduced that now he fights for her with an even greater determination and ferocity than ever before. Master Roshi and Bulma silently nodded in support and smiled at their longtime friend. Him taking a liking, or dare say falling in love with Lucia made Goku change drastically for the better.

"I still don't follow your reasoning for fighting alone Goku. Why are you so insistent in that decision? There will be no second chance if we don't stop him together." Kami asked.

"I appreciate your concern Kami, but I've already made up my mind. Like I said, I _will_ defeat Piccolo. Both to challenge myself and to save my friends from him. And I guess I'm being so stubborn cause it probably has something to do with pride of being a martial artist." Goku smiled. Kami had no idea how to get through to Goku and finally convince him to fight by his side.

"Kami!" Tien suddenly called out. "I know you mean well, but Goku is an accomplished fighter. Let him fight alone. After all, he has already saved this world more than once."

"That's right. And if things get tough, we will charge in and defeat Piccolo together." Krillin smiled confidently. But Piccolo merely laughed slightly in amusement.

"Good one, your friends are so loyal." Piccolo grinned wickedly as he looked to the group before he returned to Goku. "And foolish. A bunch of inept weakling coming to the rescue of their idol, I'd pay a zeni to see that." Piccolo laughed arrogantly.

"I'll show you inept!" Yamcha said angrily as he was about to charge at Piccolo.

"Yamcha, don't!" Bulma pleaded as she held him in place. In the end, Yamcha reluctantly remained in place. Gaito was on very edge to charge at Piccolo, but Sara held his hand with a serious frown and shook her head, silently telling him not to do anything reckless. In the end, he begrudgingly stood down.

"You're way out of your league pretty boy and you know it." Piccolo taunted. Tien couldn't help but growl angrily, fully realizing the truth in Piccolo's words.

"We can take care of him, right?" Krillin asked Master Roshi.

"I hate to admit it, but Piccolo is correct. Goku is the only one among us who can keep up with his tremendous speed." Master Roshi frowned seriously.

"You idiots! It took you this long for you to realize my supremacy?!" Piccolo laughed arrogantly before he soon calmed down after his bravado settled a little.

"Listen Goku. I still think you're making the wrong decision, fighting Piccolo by yourself is folly. But if you insist, do not stop until he's exterminated. I will fall as well, but you can resurrect me using the Dragon Balls." Kami said.

"I won't fail. Thanks for the vote of confidence Kami." Goku smiled. Kami nodded as he walked back towards the group spectating the fight.

"As for you, I owe you a free punch." Goku frowned slightly, much to Piccolo's surprise.

"A free punch?" Piccolo said.

"Yeah. Hit me the make up for the punch that Kami blocked." Goku said. Piccolo said nothing as he was quite confused by his statement, believing to be some sort of deception.

"What are you waiting for? Hit me, so we can continue the fight!" Goku protested. Seeing that Goku wasn't trying to trick him, he happily obliged as he clenched his fist.

"If you insist on it!" Piccolo grinned wickedly. Then he mustered his strength and punched Goku hard in the face, sending him flying and crashing into a small ruined wall. Lucia gasped loudly as she placed her hands on her mouth. As Lucia was about to go towards Goku, Yamcha placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head silently.

"I'm sure glad they put a wall here." Goku smiled in pain as he stood up.

"Come on, was that really necessary?" Noel said, raising her eyebrow in utter confusion.

"It's official. He's a complete moron." Rina sweat-dropped, her right eye twitching a bit by Goku's sheer stupidity. Pure hearted as he is, he's not normal.

"Can't help but agree." Gaito said with folded arms.

"He's nothing if not honest." Master Roshi said. Goku panted a bit as he rubbed his cheek. Piccolo laughed slightly as that punch satisfied him immensely. Unfortunately, he will only be truly satisfied when he puts Goku in his coffin.

"Shall we take a time out so you can catch your breath?" Piccolo grinned wickedly.

"No, but feel free if you're tired. It… it looks like your antennas are drooping." Goku retorted. Piccolo grunted angrily a bit as Goku continues to mock him, even after that kind of punch. "And now that we are fair and square, I am now going to beat you and win this fight." He smirked confidently.

" _Goku. What a truly extraordinary young man. His strength is unfathomable, he seems to be getting stronger and stronger every time he fights. His power has increased to such a degree that he's even surpassed me. I didn't notice it until now. If he is to become a warrior I know he can be, I have to give him the room to grow. He must face Piccolo alone."_ Kami thought as he glanced to Lucia before he returned his attention to Goku. He too noticed a significant change in Goku's resolve to fight for more than just testing his might in combat.

"Your arrogance is astounding, you really believe you can beat me?! Beat me?!" Piccolo growled as anger and rage boiled in his entire being, his head covered in several veins.

"Yes." Goku said confidently.

"You fool! Are you simply so moronic that you can't comprehend the impossible odds before you?! I am infinitely stronger than I was three years ago!" Piccolo shouted in fury.

"Three years is a long time and you're the fool if you think I haven't changed as well." Goku said confidently, deliberately pissing off Piccolo so that his anger would make him do rash decisions that Goku can easily use to his advantage.

"BE QUIET!" Piccolo let out a battle cry as he unleashed a Chasing Bullet attack.

"Can't you come up with anything new?!" Goku said, completely unimpressed as he leapt out of the way of the blast. However, his mistake almost costed him his life as he saw the blast coming right back at him, jumping high in the air to evade it again. Goku yelped slightly in panic as the blast wouldn't stop chasing him and dodged in the air multiple times.

"There's no use running, it will follow you wherever you go!" Piccolo laughed sadistically.

"Is that so? That gives me an idea." Goku said to himself, smirking as he suddenly landed on the ground, waiting for the blast to come close enough. Then using his speed, he stopped right in front of Piccolo's face with childish grin before he smirked confidently and disappeared. The horrified demon king noticed his own blast going straight at him at almost point blank range, having no time to avoid it. The blast made contact and exploded violently, yet again sending strong winds for short duration. After the winds settled, an area where the blast set off was covered in smoke, slowly dissipating.

"Where's Goku?!" Lucia asked worryingly.

"He's alright." Master Roshi said as smoke revealed that Goku was completely unharmed, which made Lucia sigh in relief, along with the rest of the group, excluding Gaito, Sara and Master Roshi.

However, the same could not be said for Piccolo as the villain was breathing heavily, his left hand shattered and covered in blood, already making a tiny pool of blood under it.

"Look, he managed to shatter one of Piccolo's arms." Krillin said in awe.

"He came up with that plan right on the spot?" Yamcha said in surprise.

"Amazing." Tien said.

"Excellent. With his arm out of commission, Goku's victory is assured." Gaito smirked.

"Maybe." Sara said, having a bad feeling that the obvious won't come to pass.

"Give up Piccolo. You're wounded, you can't fight like that." Goku said. But Piccolo was far from over as he has something rather sickening in mind. What came next would cause even the most insane of minds to gawk in horror as in brutal abandon, Piccolo actually gripped his left arm and viciously ripped his own arm clean off of its socket as if it wasn't his own, much to the absolute horror and disgust of everyone present, even Goku. Some of the mermaid princesses were on the verge of vomiting, notably Lucia, Hanon, Noel and Coco at the gory sight before them. Kami was the only one who was unfazed as he knew what was coming next.

As if that wasn't enough, Piccolo clenched his fist and started to scream in agony and fury. Horrors and surprises just keep lining up all the more as Piccolo actually managed to instantly regenerate his lost arm as if he never lost it in the first place, but he was breathing hard as he took a good amount of energy to restore his lost limb.

"Girls, I wanna go home. I don't feel so good." Hanon said in nauseous and trembling voice, her face slightly blue as she grabbed her stomach.

"You and me both." Lucia said, her face as blue as Hanon's. Never in their lives did they had to bear witness to insane amounts of blood and gore before them. This wasn't the first time to witness such acts of bloody combat, but this one is the most brutal of all the fights they had seen so far.

"Disgusting." Sara cringed slightly in disgust.

"What is he, some kind of lizard?" Gaito raised his eyebrow in mixture of disgust and curiosity.

"You will pay for that!" Piccolo growled in furious and outraged voice. "I had enough, I will destroy you all! YOU WILL ALL DIE!" He shouted in fury as he grabbed his arms and started to channel an enormous amount of energy, continuing to rise even more as he started to glow with orange aura. Veins started to pop across his entire body and his faint aura increased in size and shaped itself like fire. Pebbles on the ground started to shoot upward as Piccolo continued to increase his energy to charge up his attack in a last ditch effort to beat his opponent.

" _I've never seen so much power summoned at one time! He must be really getting desperate to go to such extremes."_ Goku thought. With that amount of power, Lucia and the others could be easily wiped out if Piccolo were to unleash all that energy at once.

"What are you all doing?! You have to leave right now! Hurry!" Goku shouted in demand.

"But Goku, what about you?!" Lucia shouted in worry.

"Now is not the time to argue Lucia! You have to get off this island and ran away as far as you can!" Goku shouted seriously.

"I am not leaving without you Goku!" Lucia shouted in worry as her eyes started to get glossy.

"Just go! I'll hold him off!" Goku shouted as he braced himself for Piccolo's attack.

"But Goku…" Suddenly Lucia was interrupted as large patches of land started to rip themselves from the ground and hover in the air. The land around them started to crack and shatter and whirlwind started to form around Piccolo. Then strong winds picked up for short duration. After it settled down, Piccolo was completely covered in intense orange aura, ready to unleash his final attack.

"Not good, it looks like he's ready to unleash that attack on us!" Yamcha said.

"There is no escape now." Gaito growled slightly.

"I have to save my friends!" Tien exclaimed as she quickly hovered in the air. "Tri beam HA!" He fired his attack with just enough force to create a large square hole. "Everyone! Take a shelter in this hole right now! It won't do Goku any good if we all die!" He shouted in demand.

"Right! Let's go!" Master Roshi said as he ran towards the hole, with Krillin and the others quickly following suit.

"Wait! What about Goku?!" Lucia suddenly stopped before she looked at Goku in extreme worry.

"Lucia, come on, we have to go! Goku can take care of himself, move!" Yamcha said as he dragged Lucia quickly to the hole.

"Goku, get out of there right now!" Krillin shouted.

"No! Now stop arguing and take cover!" Goku shouted seriously.

"Come on old man, get a move on!" Launch said as she dragged Kami comically and kicked him in the hole.

"Mr. Kami, can you form a barrier above this hole?" Hippo asked in hurry. Kami was confused for the moment, but he quickly picked up on his intentions.

"Yes, I can." Kami nodded.

"Then let's do it, both of us." Hippo said as he extended his Sealed Key into a sword-like staff and aimed it above his head. Kami raised his hands above him and they combined their powers to form a protective barrier around the hole to shield themselves.

"Fool! You can't fathom the power you're up against. If you had any brains you'd be on your knees, begging for mercy." Piccolo grinned wickedly.

"Get ready to lose, Piccolo!" Goku smirked confidently.

"Conceded punk! I'll enjoy breaking you." Piccolo said. Then after it was all said and done, Piccolo decided to finally unleash his attack. Goku braced himself as he crossed his arms in front of him. Piccolo unleashed a Hyper Explosive Demon Wave, a giant dome of energy that engulfed the entire island and beyond, destroying everything in its path. Then the dome set off in titanic beam that shot through the clouds.

After a few moments, the beam quickly dissipated and a cloud of smoke started to dissipate, revealing the entire island, or what's left of it was now flattened, reduced to barren wasteland with no signs of any survivors. Within the hole that Tien made, Kami and Hippo used most of their energy to maintain the shield, but they were not nearly as worn out as they should have been. But behind them, surprisingly even Gaito decided to lend a hand by reinforcing their barrier.

"Mr. Gaito?" Hippo said.

"Don't get the wrong idea, kid. With that amount of power unleashed, I am not taking any chances." Gaito frowned seriously as the three of them cancelled the barrier above them.

"Goku? Goku!" Lucia exclaimed as she immediately darted up to see if he was alright.

"Lucia, wait!" Hanon exclaimed, following after her, along with Rina. After Lucia climbed up and looked around the barren wasteland…

"GOKU!" Lucia shouted in pure joy, happy that Goku was alive and well.

"What?!" Piccolo exclaimed in utter shock and horror, looking in front of him as Goku was indeed alive. His shirt was the only thing that suffered from that blast, but as for the man himself, he was relatively alright.

"Surprised to see me? You are going to have to do a lot better than that Piccolo." Goku smirked confidently as he lowered his arms.

"What… you're still alive? But that's impossible, you should be dust!" Piccolo said in horrified voice.

"Alright Goku, way to go buddy!" Krillin cheered after he too climbed up. "He's alive! Goku's alive!" Krillin said to the entire group in the hole. After those words, they all climbed out of there.

"Unreal. He actually made it." Gaito said in amazement. Everyone from the group, excluding Sara, Gaito and Kami, cheered Goku loudly in immense relief.

"Get over here if you're ready for more!" Goku said confidently as he clenched his fist.

"Amazing. He took that blast head on and yet he doesn't look even singed, unbelievable." Tien smiled in amazement. Lucia stood not too far from Tien and sighed deeply in relief.

"Go get him Goku! After we get home I'll make a big victory feast for you!" Lucia shouted cheerfully. Goku looked at Lucia with confident smirk and nodded before he returned his attention to the horrified Piccolo.

"You used every dirty trick in the book. And now with your energy severely drained, victory is mine!" Goku said as he clenched his fist in front of him. "Okay, it's time to finish this!" He then clenched both of his fists to his sides and started to scream, increasing his energy to its very maximum. It was a very short power up as he stopped screaming and immediately locked his stern gaze at Piccolo.

"Uh-oh. I really think this is gonna hurt." Piccolo said in increased fear. With his energy drained severely after that massive explosive wave, all he can do now is brace for the impact with no way to avoid Goku's wrath.

"A lot." Goku said as he bended down to sprinting pose, with his arms spread wide and on the ground and his right leg pulled back. Then Goku charged at blinding speed before Piccolo could even react and delivered a crushing elbow strike on his face, followed by flurry of kicks across Piccolo's body. Then after he was done, Goku let out a battle cry as he delivered a devastating punch to the gut that lifted Piccolo in the air from the sheer force behind that punch. Everyone from the group, excluding Sara, Gaito and Kami, cheered him loudly again as Goku's victory is now assured.

Then after Goku's crushing attack and Piccolo's paralyzed body fell down on the ground, Goku jumped high in the air and went for the finishing move.

"Kaaa… Meee… Haaa… Meee…" Goku chanted as he charged his ultimate technique in mid-air.

"Incoming!" Krillin shouted.

"Hit the deck!" Yamcha said as they ducked to shield themselves from Goku's incoming aftershock of his attack.

"HAAAAAAA!" Goku shouted as he unleashed his attack. Piccolo screamed in terror as the attack made contact, yet again sending strong winds and blinding light in the every direction. After both died down, Goku was spinning forward as he was falling down, landing gracefully and sighing deeply as the fight was finally over. He looked at his beaten opponent in the large crater, with his battered body half buried in dirt, his mouth wide open, a clear sign that this time he was beaten.

"It's over." Goku said to himself.

"Woohoo! He did it!" Hanon cheered happily.

"Yaaay, Goku, he won!" Krillin cheered.

"Alright Goku!" Yamcha cheered, along with the rest of the group, except Kami, Sara and Gaito, who smiled now that the threat was finally defeated. Now that Lucia knew that the fight was over, she ran towards Goku with a bright smile on her face and teary eyes.

"Goku!" Lucia said cheerfully as she lunged at Goku. Goku caught her in a hug and spun around once before he put her down. "I knew you could do it Goku, I'm so proud of you." Lucia leaned her head on Goku's chest for a few moments before she looked into his beautiful onyx eyes.

"Thanks Lucia." Goku smiled before he frowned seriously as he looked at Piccolo, with Lucia following his gaze at the same time.

"Goku? Is he…"

"No." Goku answered. "He's down for the count, but he's still alive."

"Yes." Kami interjected. "I'm still alive, that means that Piccolo is still breathing." He said grimly, making Goku and Lucia look towards the guardian.

Little did Goku and the entire group knew that Piccolo was paralyzed for a few moments after the blast, but he was very much still conscious. With that single moment of distraction, Piccolo's eyes shot open as he immediately attacked with a mouth blast. But in a slow motion, Goku glanced towards Piccolo and instinctively shoved Lucia out of harm's way a fair enough distance from him. However, he didn't had a second to dodge the blast as it pierced his right shoulder at almost instantaneous speed, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. The entire group, especially Lucia, gasped in shock and horror as Piccolo in his sneak attack inflicted a severe injury to the Earth's hero. Goku choked out blood from his mouth as he screamed in agony, holding onto his right shoulder in unimaginable pain.

"GOKUU!"Lucia screamed out at the top of her lungs with tears starting to form in her eyes and soon enough flow down her cheeks, with both of her hands soon after placed on her mouth. Her fears tremendously grew as Piccolo was slowly standing up and limping his way towards incapacitated Goku, laughing out loud sadistically.

"Your time is up, end of game. You made a good run event, but now it's over." Piccolo grinned wickedly. Everyone was left paralyzed in place, helpless to do anything to help their friend. All of them knew what came next, especially Lucia: Death.

"For the crimes committed against King Piccolo, it's my honor to serve justice!" Piccolo shouted as he started to stomp hard on Goku's shoulder wound while laughing like a maniac, making Goku scream even louder than he already did. Lucia's heart broke in million pieces hearing her beloved Goku scream helplessly in pain and agony she can't even imagine.

"Please… stop it..." Lucia said in almost a whisper as tears continued to flow from her eyes, her ears unable to stand Goku's constant screams and yells of pain and Piccolo's ceaseless, sadistic laughter's echoing in her mind.

"Stop. Stop it!" Lucia said a little louder as she closed her eyes and frowned a little, almost reaching her breaking point as Piccolo just won't stop torturing Goku.

"I SAID STOOOOP!" Lucia screamed at the top of her lungs, her ears unable to listen to this anymore. Her shouting draw Piccolo's attention, along with Goku's and the entire group. Lucia' entire body trembled in fear and terror, but despite the immense horror that filled her entire being, she stood up and clenched her fists.

"Leave my Goku alone… or you will pay dearly!" Lucia said in utterly scared, yet hopelessly determined voice. Piccolo merely laughed off her ridiculous, hollow threat as he turned towards Lucia.

"Lucia! Run away!" Goku gritted his teeth as he looked at Lucia, who won't even budge from her spot.

"Leave them alone, you monster!" Krillin shouted as he charged at Piccolo, along with Tien and Yamcha.

"Back off!" Piccolo shouted as he charged up his attack and waved his hand in a horizontal arc, creating a large, seemingly bottomless hole where the attack was struck.

"Come any closer and you will be the first to die!" Piccolo grinned wickedly.

"Damn him! Even after all that, he still has some power left!" Tien growled angrily, rooted in place along with Krillin and Yamcha. After that little satisfaction, he paid no heed to Lucia whatsoever as he turned towards Goku again with that same sadistic grin.

"I admit, my aim was a little off. But now I can effortlessly aim at your heart." Piccolo grinned wickedly as he pointed his finger towards Goku's heart area. "Die!"

Before Piccolo could fire his finishing move, someone hit him with a large rock behind his head, making his head tilt slightly in surprise. He didn't even need to turn around as he knew well who it was, that annoying blonde brat Lucia. As for the mermaid herself, she frowned in mixture of terror and anger, her eyes and cheeks stained with tears, but gritting her teeth as she had enough of this pointless torture. She knew she was an ant compared to Piccolo, but she didn't care as she charged towards him, her fists ready.

"Lucia, no!" Goku shouted hopelessly, but it was too late. In a swift motion, Piccolo grabbed her by the throat and lifted her in the air, much to even greater shock and horror, especially Goku's.

"LUCIA!" Hanon and Rina shouted worryingly, with tears starting to form in Hanon's eyes.

"You are persistent little girl, aren't you? If you wish to join Goku in the afterlife, I'll be happy to oblige." Piccolo grinned wickedly as Lucia struggled to get some air, with Piccolo's iron grip pressed around her neck.

"Piccolo! Leave her alone, your fight is with me!" Goku shouted angrily, but Piccolo instantly laughed from that statement.

"You are very amusing when you are near death, Goku." Then Piccolo's malicious grin spread wider. "It will be even greater pleasure to see your spirit shattered before I break your body."

"I had enough of this!" Tien gritted his teeth in fury as he placed his hands in front of him in triangular form. Krillin and Yamcha cupper their hands together and prepared to unleash a Kamehameha Wave. Piccolo glanced at the trio as he waved Lucia between himself and the three warriors.

"You were up to something dramatic? Then here's your target before you get to me." Piccolo grinned sadistically.

"That heartless monster!" Karen frowned angrily.

"He has no honor whatsoever." Noel frowned angrily, along with Coco, Rina, Sara and Gaito.

"If any of you take a single step, then I will snap this girl's neck like a twig!" Piccolo now said in serious voice. Tien, Krillin and Yamcha were growling loudly in fury, but now all of them found themselves in hopeless situation. All of them knew that Piccolo wasn't bluffing, the poor girl's life was in Piccolo's hands and he can easily take it away in a single motion of his hand. Lucia looked at Goku with her face stained in tears while struggling for her breath at the same time. Goku's heart sank as if a thousand knives pierced his heart, his anger steadily rising.

"I said let her go Piccolo! Stop acting like a coward and fight me!" Goku shouted angrily. Piccolo merely glanced at Goku before he kicked him in the face, making him roll once.

"Even with your body crippled, your spirit remains strong. Let's change that, shall we?" Piccolo grinned as he had that look that practically screamed death. Goku's eyes went wide as Piccolo now looked at poor Lucia who can't do anything to free herself from Piccolo's iron grip. Piccolo clenched his right fist, ready to deliver pain to Lucia as well.

"NOOOO!" Goku shouted hopelessly as Piccolo delivered a crushing punch on Lucia's stomach, making the mermaid gag and cough out a large amount of blood, her ribs completely shattered, knocking her out unconscious. Piccolo was not finished as he threw Lucia's paralyzed body in the air. For the final touch, he fired his mouth blast straight towards Lucia. But to Piccolo's surprise, she disappeared in a blur. Then a figure landed on the ground and it was revealed to be Kami who saved Lucia from her inevitable demise.

"I had enough of your madness Piccolo! It is time to put an end to these sick tortures you placed on these poor souls!" Kami shouted angrily, but Piccolo laughed slightly in amusement.

"Come at me, old man! If you dare!" Piccolo taunted.

But as for Goku, his eyes were fixed widely in disbelief as he looked at unconscious Lucia, her mouth covered in blood and her neck covered with visible bruises from Piccolo's hold. Goku had enough. He had 110% enough of **everything** that Piccolo did to his friends. And now that he harmed Lucia to the brink of death, that was his breaking point. His anger and rage skyrocketed, gritting his teeth in seething fury that would freeze even the hottest of volcanoes to shame. He clenched his left fist so hard that blood started to flow from his palms.

He was slowly standing up with his head bowed down, his face covered by his hair. His rage was so great that he didn't even cared about the shoulder wound, even managing to clench his right fist. Piccolo looked at Goku in utter horror as he was standing up. Then Goku locked his piercing and furious look at Piccolo's, who was left completely perplexed at Goku's unreal resistance to pain.

"Just die already!" Piccolo shouted as he charged at Goku. But Piccolo was horrified even more as for a split second, he froze in place as Goku's eyes for only a moment went… greenish-blue as Goku let out a bloodcurdling roar and delivered a devastating punch that went right through Piccolo's chest, with his fist sticking out of Piccolo's back. But Goku had that merciless look on his face as his eyes went black again, but the rage didn't dissipate even slightly. Piccolo gagged and coughed out blood in disbelief and shock as Goku managed to severely wound him.

However, Goku was far from over as he let out a furious roar yet again as he charged at Piccolo. The shot was replayed three times as Goku delivered another devastating blow right on Piccolo's face, completely shattering and breaking his jaw and snapping his neck at the same time. But it is after Goku delivered that blow that he finally felt his rage dissipating and all of his energy depleting as his limp body struck the ground, with not an ounce of energy to spare.

After several moments of silent shock by the entire group, Yamcha suddenly got a hold of himself.

"Krillin! Move fast and give Goku a Senzu bean! I'll go and give one to Lucia!" Yamcha urged. After Krillin also recovered, he frowned slightly.

"Right!" Krillin nodded as he quickly went to give a bean to Goku, while Yamcha darted to help Lucia.

"Hey there buddy. Man, you look like a total wreck." Krillin smiled slightly as he pulled out a bean.

"Yup… I guess you can say that." Goku gave Krillin a faint smile as he struggled to stay conscious before his face went serious. "Please… help… Lucia first."

"Don't worry, Yamcha got it covered. Now hurry and chew this up." Krillin smiled as he fed the bean to Goku. After Goku swallowed it, all of his injuries were gone and his energy was fully restored, immediately hopping on both of his feet.

"Alright!" Goku said cheerfully before his face went blank and then serious as he looked at Lucia, who for some reason was still down for the count. Not wasting a second he darted towards her.

"Lucia!" Goku shouted as he kneeled next to her. "Yamcha, what is going on?"

"I don't know, she can't swallow a Senzu Bean!" Yamcha said worryingly. Goku then placed his left hand behind her head and grabbed her waist with his right hand.

"Lucia! Lucia, wake up! Lucia! Come on, I know you can pull through! You're stronger than this! Lucia!" Goku shook her a bit, frowning worryingly. Everyone looked at Lucia, hoping against hope that she will indeed pull through, judging by the brutal beating she received from Piccolo. But unfortunately, she is not budging even an inch. And just when everyone assumed the worst, they were surprised when her eyelids and mouth started to twitch and quiver a bit. Goku and Yamcha were first to notice as they smiled brightly. Though Lucia was hanging in there by a thread, it was all that Goku needed to give Lucia a chance to survive.

"There we go, what a relief." Goku said to himself as Yamcha gave Goku his Senzu Bean. It was fortunate that Tien, Krillin and Yamcha were given three beans each. They had no idea that they would be of tremendous help in situations like this, but they were glad they had them either way.

"G… Goku?" Lucia said in low, weakly voice. Goku's heart ached immensely when seeing her all beaten up like that, but now that justice is served, Goku could only smile with his typical toothy grin.

"Easy there, you've had a really rough time. Here, eat this Senzu Bean." Goku gently fed the bean to Lucia. The mermaid chewed on the bean before she too swallowed and was now as good as new.

"Thank goodness." Hanon sighed in relief, wiping the tears from her eyes. Rina also smiled in relief, smiling sadly as only moments ago, her best friend was crippled at the inch of her life. She couldn't help but form a few tears of her own, but she wiped them away when Lucia recovered.

"Thank you Goku." Lucia smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. "You really are my hero." She smiled. But as for Goku, he knew that wasn't the case as he frowned seriously. What kind of hero would allow his friends to be brutally beaten, especially his girlfriend?

But before either Lucia or Goku could say any further, the group's attention turned towards the Guardian of the Earth himself, who fell on his knees and was breathing hard.

"Kami!" Goku exclaimed as he ran next to him. "Kami, are you okay? What's happening to you?" He asked urgently, noticing that Kami's body was slowly fading.

"Piccolo's life force is slipping away. And with his death, I will die as well." Kami said, panting heavily as he was slowly dying.

"What?!" Goku shouted in shock.

"Don't worry Goku. I accept my fate that I will share with Piccolo in the Otherworld. This planet will forever be rid of that evil once and for all." Kami said as he smiled faintly.

"Well I am not going tp allow that to happen." Goku said seriously. "Yamcha, throw me another Senzu Bean!" He exclaimed.

"Got it." Yamcha nodded as he threw the bean to Goku. Even though he hesitated for a second, he ran towards Piccolo.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Master Roshi asked.

"Is he going to do what I think he will do?" Bulma asked in trembling voice.

When Goku arrived near Piccolo, he reluctantly knelt down and grabbed the limp head of his defeated opponent.

"You don't deserve my help after what you have done. But, I am only doing this for Kami." Goku frowned seriously as he fed the bean to Piccolo. After a few moments, Piccolo's eyes shot open and hovered backwards instantly. Even though the entire group was left completely stunned after what Goku had done, they understood the reason after Kami' short explanation about him and Piccolo sharing the same fate. Then again, this was also explained by Goku before his fight with Piccolo began, so they couldn't really complain against it.

As for Piccolo, he was left completely confused at why would his mortal enemy help him heal up as he stood silently with an angry frown.

"Don't get the wrong idea Piccolo. The only reason I helped you is because Kami was dying as well and I couldn't allow that." Goku said in serious tone. "Now get out of here before I regret my mercy!" Goku said angrily, still ticked off after what Piccolo did to Lucia.

"You arrogant punk! I'll kill you one day, just you wait!" Piccolo growled angrily as he departed, flying high in the sky as far as the eye was able to see.

"That's what they all say." Goku said to himself before he departed towards the group. In truth, the other reason he decided to save Piccolo is without a rival to fight, he would be really bored and wouldn't have someone to push himself beyond his limitations and get stronger in the process.

"Goku? Are you okay?" Lucia asked worryingly, noticing that was still pretty fumed after he recovered. But Goku then took a deep breath and sighed, his body now relaxed and he now returned to his usual, cheerful personality.

"Yeah, of course. My whole body was just filled with anger after what Piccolo did to you. I'm sorry if I worried you." Goku smiled, having an apologetic look on his face.

"Well that's good, cause I got used to seeing your adorable, cheerful face every day." Lucia playfully tapped his nose. Goku giggled childishly with a wide toothy grin in response, rubbing the back of his head.

"Why did you do it Goku?!" Kami suddenly shouted in outrage, startling Goku and Lucia a bit and surprising the rest of the group. "Why didn't you let Piccolo die? You know of the danger that he poses, yet you still helped him recover!" Kami said angrily.

"What are you talking about? If he were to die, then you would die with him! You know that Kami!" Goku frowned seriously.

"My death would matter little, you know that you can ask the Eternal Dragon to bring me back to life." Kami said.

"Are you guardians capable of telling a lie?" Goku asked bluntly.

"Say what?" Kami said.

"You were the one who created the Dragon Balls and the Eternal Dragon. If you were to die, then the Dragon Balls would turn to stone to good, right?" Goku said in serious tone.

"What's that?!" Tien exclaimed in surprise.

It was then that Kami was left practically speechless as Goku hit the mark. He caught him in a lie as looked down in utter shame, contemplating on his selfishness that caused a near eradication of humankind, all for the purpose of being the next Guardian of the Earth. He walked away a few paces before he looked up in the sky.

"Sometimes, even I will make a mistake." Kami said as he sighed in shame. "I created this monster, yet he's become so powerful that he surpassed even me, plunging the world into chaos." He then bowed his head down and closed his eyes. "I've lost more than power, I lost my perspective. I no longer deserve to govern this or any world."

"How can you say such things when it was you who brought our world peace again? If not for your training, Goku would have never attained the level of skill he has now and Piccolo would have won. And if the Dragon Balls have never been forged, none of these young warriors would have ever met." Master Roshi said in serious tone. "And I can't begin to count the number of people who owe their lives to these kids." He said, reminiscing the past moments where the Dragon Balls were the factor of their meeting. "When their quest began they were just children, but they soon grew into heroes. When the world needed saving, these kids answered the call."

Master Roshi had no idea how right he was. It indeed all happened with the four star Dragon Ball that Goku had in his possession, which led to multitude of events as they were hunting the rest of the Dragon Balls, starting off with only Goku and Bulma. Soon enough, Master Roshi himself went into the mix, along with Krillin, Launch, Yamcha and Puar, and the recent teammates like Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu. Goku have also met Korin and Yajirobe along the way, with each of Goku's friends playing a vital role in respective moments and they all put a stop to the worldwide threats, each more lethal than the last: Pilaf gang, The Red Ribbon Army, Mercenary Tao and King Piccolo.

As for Goku, the biggest and most unexpected event that ever happened in his life was his meeting with a little mermaid known as Lucia, smiling at the thought as he looked at the pink mermaid princess. Lucia smiled back as she looked at Goku lovingly, leaning her head on his shoulder, while Goku grabbed her by the waist. In more ways than one, Goku managed to completely flip the mermaids' lives upside down. Not only did the young warrior give them hope against Gaito and his forces, which ultimately lead to his defeat with their powers united, perhaps the most drastic change in Lucia's life was Goku himself. She didn't thought of it until now, but she never knew that little orange sphere could lead to their fated meeting and eventually their relationship which she wouldn't replace for anything in existence.

"One ball. That's how it all began." Master Roshi finished, with the entire group, even Gaito smiling as his words were true. Though he still was a little iffy about Goku beating him, it still lead to him and Sara being together and in a way, he was grateful to Goku for that.

"Goku, you are fortunate to have such an excellent teacher." Kami smiled gratefully.

"Yup. No one is more wise or as goofy." Goku said cheerfully, making Tien, Krillin and Yamcha laugh at Roshi's expense, with the old master blushing slightly in embarrassment and humbleness.

"No no, really I just taught him a few basic skills. I couldn't raise them into such fine warriors without the aid of you and Master Korin." Master Roshi said bashfully. Everyone except Gaito laughed at Roshi's embarrassed expression. But their laughters ceased when Kami suddenly walked In front of Goku and extended his hand, starting to glow. Lucia backed away from Goku a bit as he started to glow, with his pants starting to glitter. But Goku smiled as Kami restored his pants first, followed by his wristbands, undershirt, boots and finally his orange Turtle School shirt.

"Wear the symbol of the turtle with pride, never forget where you came from." Kami smiled proudly.

"Thank you." Goku smiled.

"Thank goodness everything is back to normal. Now what do you say we make a big party in celebration of Goku's victory as the World Martial Arts Champion?!" Bulma shouted cheerfully. The entire group raised their hands cheerfully, with the exception of Gaito and Sara.

"No." Gaito suddenly said with folded arms, drawing the attention of the group. "Not us."

"What? Why not, what's the matter?" Krillin asked curiously.

"Goku, Lucia, may we speak with you in private?" Sara asked in serious tone. Goku and Lucia looked at them with innocent expressions, although they knew what they were gonna say.

"Sure." Goku nodded as he went with Lucia. The rest of the group, except for Kami, Master Roshi, Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, Oolong, Puar, Bulma and Launch knew that they are leaving, most notably Coco.

"Sara." Coco said, frowning sadly as she knew this was a goodbye. Sara didn't call for Coco to come since she knew that she did a tremendous damage to her kingdom as well, so the only thing she could do is walk away with silent goodbye, hoping that Coco would one day forgive her for what she had done.

After a good distance, Goku and Lucia stopped while Gaito and Sara stopped in front of them.

"So, what's this all about?" Goku asked curiously.

"Why ask the question which you already know the answer?" Gaito smirked with folded arms as he turned towards Goku and Lucia, with Sara doing the same. "I told you that we will go into exile when Piccolo has been dealt with. And now the time has come for us to do it."

"So you're leaving? For good?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Indeed Lucia. Because of my selfish actions and transgressions I committed against the mermaid princesses, I decided to go with Gaito. That way I will be of no harm to anyone." Sara frowned seriously.

"But both of you are the good guys now. Can you just stay at least until the party is over?" Goku smiled. Gaito chuckled slightly at his stupid remark.

"Don't be ridiculous Goku. I was never a good guy, otherwise the kingdoms of the mermaid princesses wouldn't have been reduced to rubble. The reason why Sara went bad is because her heart was sundered by Taro Mitsuki's actions. She is the only one who can actually redeem herself." Gaito said seriously.

"I've made my decision Gaito, so don't try to spare me of my own sins." Sara said as she closed her eyes before she frowned sadly, looking down on the ground. "I was the one who set you free in the first place and brought so much suffering on my fellow mermaid princesses. I am just as much to be blamed as you Gaito." She said before she looked at the pink mermaid. "Lucia. The reason why I called you here with Goku is because I know I can trust my orange pearl to you. You possess a kind and honest heart full of true love, which is something what the next heiress of my kingdom will need to learn off when the time comes." Sara smiled as she opened her seashell pendant and gave it to Lucia. Lucia hesitantly took the pearl and it glowed for a bit before the glow quickly dissipated. "Until the day comes when a new heiress to the throne is born, I want you to guard that pearl. I know you will keep it safe."

"And as for you Goku, you now have the task to protect that which is most important to you. And that person is standing right next to you." Gaito smirked with folded arms. Goku looked at Lucia innocently before he looked back at Gaito.

"You mean Lucia?" Goku asked curiously.

"Of course. You better not fail in your task, unless your brain really is only meant for punching people." Gaito smirked.

"Hey, that's not true!" Goku whined childishly. Lucia merely giggled cutely from Goku's reaction.

"Well, it is time for us to go. Farewell Lucia, Goku." Sara smiled.

"Knowing you, this is not a goodbye. But I am going to say... until our paths cross again." Gaito smirked as he turned around and departed, followed by Sara.

"So long Gaito!" Goku smiled.

"Bye Sara, take care!" Lucia smiled.

"Bye!" Goku waved goodbye. After they made some distance, Lucia frowned sadly, much to Goku's confusion.

"What's wrong Lucia?" Goku asked curiously.

"Nothing. It's just… I know what they did was wrong, but now it's the entire world against those two." Lucia said.

"Don't worry, they can handle themselves. You've seen for yourself what Gaito is capable of. They'll be fine." Goku smiled to ease her worries.

"You're right." Lucia smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Well, let's go back to the others so we can head back home, I'm starving." Goku smiled brightly.

"And when are you _not_ starving?" Lucia teased him, smirking slightly. Goku snickered childishly with a wide toothy grin in response. It didn't take long for them to go back to the group.

"What was that all about, Goku?" Yamcha asked curiously.

"They are not coming with us?" Bulma asked.

"Yeah, it would seem so. They told us they had some unfinished business or something like that." Goku said. Hippo, Yuri and the mermaid princesses didn't buy it since they knew better, but it was enough to convince the other members of the group.

"Tien Shinhan, aren't you expecting a visitor?" Kami suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Tien said. But as he looked at the sky, he smiled widely as he noticed a very familiar person.

"Tien!"

"Chiaotzu, you're alive!" Tien smiled brightly, hugging his best friend. Coco smiled gently by their reunion, along with Goku, Lucia and the others.

"Goku." Kami said, drawing Goku's and Lucia's attention. "You have proved yourself worthy, in fact I'd like to offer you my job."

"What? Me, are you serious?" Goku asked in surprise, but not really in a good way. Kami nodded in reply.

"I have the utmost confidence in you. It could be the greatest adventure." Kami said in serious tone, but Goku was now getting nervous, knowing how utterly boring it was during that time when he was training at the Lookout.

"No no no no no, I couldn't, I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, but that's not the adventure I'm looking for! It's your job, keep it!" Goku said in quick and nervous tone as he was backing away with Lucia. As for the pink mermaid, she had no idea why he was so nervous about Kami offering his position. It sounds great in her mind, but apparently not for Goku.

"Don't be hasty, think of all the good you could do with that power. You're the only one I can trust to succeed me. What do you say?" Kami said in serious tone. But Goku would have none of it as he pulled his eyelid and stuck his tongue out in childish manner, much to Kami's surprise. Then Goku turned around and looked upward.

"FLYING NIMBUS!" Goku called out to his cloud. As soon as it was called, it landed near Goku and the warrior immediately jumped on it, grabbing Lucia's hand as they flew into the sky. Lucia laughed cheerfully like she was on the roller coaster.

"Sorry Kami, but it doesn't get any better than this!" Goku shouted cheerfully as he flew higher in the sky, with Lucia continuing to laugh as Goku continued to hold her hand, with the pink mermaid having a feeling like she was actually flying. It was truly an incredible feeling, even though she knew that Goku was still holding her hand. Goku and Lucia flew on Nimbus cloud higher and higher until they passed through the clouds.

"There they go." Bulma smiled.

"Don't tell me they won't be coming to the party." Hanon said in slight annoyance.

"They will, but don't let Kami know about it." Bulma whispered in Hanon's ear.

"Ohh okay, will do." Hanon smiled.

And so it was that Goku finally won against his most dangerous adversary and was titled the champion of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, since technically Piccolo landed out of the ring first before Goku, which gave the group another reason to celebrate. With the entire group on the way to leave the island, Kami was the only one left in the deserted area. In a way he kinda expected for Goku to refuse his offer, but it was still worth a try. It was then that he too decided to leave and return to the Lookout and back to his daily duties.

* * *

The night soon fell and the entire gang gathered in the Pearl Hotel where indeed a big party was made. All of Goku's friends were present: Bulma, Launch, Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, Oolong, Puar, Master Roshi, Hippo, Yuri and the mermaid princesses, along with Nicole and Madame Taki. Surprisingly, they stumbled upon Yajirobe, who claimed comically that he rushed to help them beat Piccolo, but they didn't believe him one bit. Still, he was also invited to the party, due to being a great help in the past, where he was mostly gorging on the food. Since Bulma was around, that wasn't the problem because there was a food in abundance.

Everyone had a great time during the party: Bulma and Launch had a conversation with Hanon, Rina and Nicole, Hippo and Yuri were hanging out with Oolong, Chiaotzu and Puar, Coco with Tien, which Launch did not take kindly as she frowned angrily while taking a glass of juice, since they didn't bother to bring alcohol. And Krillin and Yamcha were hanging out, soon joined by Noel and Karen, with the dark blue mermaid taking the opportunity to get to know Krillin more. Surprisingly, Master Roshi was hanging out with Madame Taki and was actually having a good time, with his lecherous tendencies nowhere to be seen during their conversation. Krillin and Yamcha noticed this and they were surprised that this Master Roshi is nowhere near as perverted as he should be, as he tends to do often around women.

However, the only ones who were missing were Lucia and Goku.

"Hey, have you seen Goku anywhere?" Krillin asked curiously.

"Now that you mentioned it, Lucia went missing too." Noel said.

"I wonder where could they have gone." Karen said curiously.

* * *

Outside of the hotel, Goku and Lucia went to his training spot on the beach.

"Goku, why did you bring me here? Are you not happy with the party?" Lucia asked innocently.

"Of course I am, but I thought you wanted to do this again." Goku said with innocent expression.

"Do what?" Lucia asked curiously.

"You know, with the full moon and everything. You told me you like it the night before the tournament, so I thought you wanted to do it again." Goku smiled. It was then that Lucia realized what he meant as she blushed a little, but couldn't help but smile. He remembered that she told him how she loves to be all alone with Goku beneath the moonlight and that warmed her heart immensely.

"You actually remembered. That's so sweet of you." Lucia said in slightly embarrassed, but loving voice as she looked down. Goku remembered to bring a large blanket for both of them like the last time. And like before, they both sat down and Lucia leaned her head on his shoulder, this time with Goku wrapping his arm on Lucia's shoulder in a hug.

"Honestly, this was something I never would have expected from you, considering we have a party going on with tons of food. Knowing you, you would probably stuff yourself instead of coming here." Lucia smiled.

"Don't worry, I made sure to come here with a full stomach." Goku smiled casually.

"You did? Since when?" Lucia asked in slight surprise. But Goku merely snickered childishly with a wide toothy grin and closed eyes.

Back at the hotel…

"What?! What do you mean there's no food? I bought a ton of it before the party!" Bulma said in slight outrage as she went with Nicole to the kitchen, followed by Hanon and Rina.

"See for yourself if you don't believe me." Nicole said in annoyance and frustration, mostly cause the entire kitchen was ransacked.

"Great, Goku just had to pig out and eat everything in sight." Rina frowned in frustration.

"Seriously, has he ever heard of moderation?" Hanon said in frustration. As for Bulma, she started to growl angrily and clenched her fists.

"GOKUUU!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, loud enough to be even heard outside of the hotel.

But while Goku was lying down blissfully on the sand, with Lucia resting her head on his chest and wrapped in blanket, Goku suddenly yelped in slight panic as his eyes shot open. That made Lucia slightly worried that something didn't happen.

"What is it?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Nothing, everything's okay." Goku laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Lucia looked at him innocently for a few moments before she smiled and scooted up to kiss Goku on the lips.

 **=Play Music: Dragon Ball Sekushii Gyaru Buruma (1:54 to 2:45)=**

Goku was caught off guard yet again, Lucia really tends to do that whenever she leans in to kiss him, but in all honesty he started to like kissing Lucia as he reciprocated the kiss. Then after another seemingly eternal embrace, Lucia broke the kiss and smiled lovingly.

"Feeling better?" Lucia smiled as she tapped his nose. Goku couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"Yup. Thanks Lucia." Goku smiled. Lucia didn't need to say anything else as she leaned her head on his chest again and smiled, closing her eyes and blissfully relaxing in his soothing embrace. Goku smiled as he hugged Lucia with his right arm and placed his left hand behind his head.

Goku felt completely at peace as he looked at the full moon. His life was truly blessed: He met amazing and loyal friends, fought incredibly strong opponents and much to his own surprise, he now has a mermaid princess as his girlfriend. In truth, that random meeting with Lucia changed his life drastically and she managed to awaken emotions he never thought he had. Looking back then and now, he wouldn't change any of it for the world. Now that his destined rematch with Piccolo was over, he was looking forward for days to come. He may not know what tomorrow will bring, but with Lucia by his side, it would seem that every day will be an adventure for him, something that he is eagerly looking forward to.

 **~To be continued~**


	27. Chapter 27

~The way of the Turtle Hermit~

After the conclusion of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, everyone in the group celebrated Goku's victory for two days, enjoying every minute they spent hanging out. But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end as the entire group departed to their own, separate ways, save for Madame Taki, Nicole, Hippo and the mermaid princesses.

As Goku's friends departed, so too did the mermaid princesses decided to do the same. The time has come for Karen, Noel and Coco to return to their respective kingdoms, to begin reconstruction of their beautiful undersea realms, where a new era of peace and prosperity may thrive. Currently, Goku, Lucia, Hanon and Rina escorted the three mermaids to the beach away from human eyes, the beach where Goku trains that became their common meeting place at this point.

"We are eternally grateful for everything you did for us. We owe you all a great debt, especially to you Goku." Karen smiled gratefully.

"Come on, it was nothing, really." Goku chuckled cheerfully as he rubbed his head.

"Nothing?" Coco said, with Goku looking at her blankly. She wanted to say something, but in the end she sighed slightly, giving up on her action. "That was way too modest for such massive accomplishments."

"That's Goku for you. He was never a bragger, which is fine by me." Lucia smiled as she looked at Goku, who merely snickered slightly.

"Well, time for us to go. Until we meet again, Lucia, Hanon, Rina, Goku." Karen smiled before she turned around and departed towards the sea.

"Farewell." Noel smiled before she too departed.

"Until next time." Coco smiled before she departed as well, with the three mermaids submerging in the sea, reemerging in their mermaid forms, swimming into the open sea.

"Bye Karen, bye Noel, bye Coco!" Lucia shouted cheerfully, waving her hand in the air.

"See ya girls!" Hanon shouted, waving her hand in the air as well, with Goku and Rina merely smiling as they watched the three mermaid submerging into the sea.

"Well, time for me to start some good old training." Goku smiled as he stretched his arms above him. Lucia, Hanon and Rina nearly lost their balance at his blunt statement.

"Training?" Lucia said in slight disbelief.

"Hmm? Yeah, why are you all so surprised?" Goku smiled light-heartedly.

"After all that fighting against Piccolo, you are still going to train like a madman again?" Hanon frowned slightly.

"Yeah, you should really get some downtime for yourself Goku. You deserved it after those brutal battles against Gaito and Piccolo." Rina smiled.

"Nah, don't worry you guys, I'm feeling great." Goku smirked confidently as he pumped his left fist. "Besides, now that I've beaten Piccolo, he has the motivation to train even harder and push himself beyond the limits he had in our fight. It's time for me to improve too and get even stronger."

"Speaking of training…" Lucia smiled as she took a few steps forward. "I was wondering. Is it possible for the three of us to receive the training you had with Master Roshi?"

"Huh? Training with Master Roshi?" Goku looked at Lucia in slight surprise.

"Yeah. We know that we are way out of our league with your training routine, so I was wondering if we could start where you started from the ground up. And that is with Master Roshi." Lucia smiled.

"Yeah, if we ignore the fact that he's a major pervert." Rina said to herself.

"True that." Hanon nodded in agreement.

"Hmmm." Goku held his chin and looked up in thought for several moments. "Well, I don't know, Master Roshi's training is pretty tough. Krillin and I had to really struggle to keep up with his training sessions when we were kids."

"What?! You mean you barely endured his training?!" Hanon exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah, it wasn't easy. But it all paid off big time when we reached all the way to the semifinals. I even managed to reach the finals where I fought Jackie Chun. We fought for hours, but in the end he won, fair and square." Goku smiled as he placed his clenched hands on his hips. Lucia giggled a bit cutely at how Goku, even after all this time, is still oblivious to the fact that Jackie Chun is in fact his old teacher Master Roshi.

"Hmm? What's wrong, did I say something funny?" Goku asked innocently, making Lucia giggle cutely even more.

"It's nothing Goku, nothing." Lucia smiled before her face went slightly serious. "But still, we want to give his training a try."

"But why would you…"

"The three of us had a lengthy conversation about this, Goku." Rina interjected as she stopped near Lucia with the same serious expression. "From what we saw, our singing alone wasn't enough to defeat Gaito. It became a liability that we can't afford in the future. If it will tilt the odds in our favor even a little bit, we are willing to give your old master's training a go and make ourselves stronger in turn, so we could defend ourselves if our singing won't cut it."

"Can we at least try? Please?" Lucia pleaded.

Goku looked at the three mermaids curiously after Rina's explanation. Yup, they have those same dedicated gazes that convinced him for them to stay on the battlefield when he fought Gaito. Hanon's less so in this case, for she was really reluctant at first to even consider Roshi's training, since she never had any physical training her whole life, much like Lucia and Rina and never had the incentive to even give it a try. But when she realized that her kingdom and her people might be in jeopardy again, she knew that she could never allow such a thing to happen, to helplessly run and watch as her people get killed, screaming for help. And with that in mind, she will do her best to get this training done.

Now that Goku knows that they are determined, he couldn't help but indulge their request.

"Sure. Let's give Master Roshi's training a go." Goku smiled, nodding in approval.

"Really?! You can actually do it?!" Lucia said cheerfully.

"Yeah, no sweat." Goku smiled, with Lucia squeeing gleefully to Hanon, grabbing each other's hands in excitement. "Not so fast, girls." He said, interrupting their moment of joy and making the two mermaids look at him innocently. "Like I said, Master Roshi's training is going to be really tough, so I want you to be fully ready when we begin." He smirked. But the mermaids remained undeterred as they smiled and silently nodded.

* * *

Later that day in the afternoon, after Goku finished with his training session, he traveled to Master Roshi's island on his Flying Nimbus to see if he can arrange their eight month training schedule like Roshi did with him and Krillin. After he arrived near the island, he jumped from his cloud and landed gracefully near the house entrance.

"Master Roshi? Master Roshi?" Goku called out before he opened the door leading inside his house. As he entered, he heard some kind of noise coming from the living room.

" _That's right girls and here we go. One, two, one, two, one, two…"_

When Goku peaked in the living room, he noticed that Master Roshi was leaning dangerously close to his TV. As for Roshi, he wished he could just dive inside the TV, with the current program being female aerobics doing leg exercises which Roshi enjoys immensely, mostly because his eyes are fixed in the area between the woman's legs.

"Aerobics, a gift from the heavens." Roshi chuckled lecherously, his mouths drooling at the sight.

"Yup, there he is. Master Roshi!" Goku called out, breaking the old man from his blissful moments of pleasure.

"What? Goku?" Master Roshi said as he turned his head behind him.

"Hi Master Roshi. Can I talk to you about something?" Goku smiled cheerfully.

"Not now Goku, I'm doing a mid-morning exercise, yeah." Roshi said annoyingly as he quickly looked back at the TV.

Goku will never understand why is this so interesting to Master Roshi, all they do is stretch out. No punching, no interesting fighting techniques, nothing. But as usual, he shrugged as he waited for Roshi to finish this awkward training session as he calls it. Fortunately, Goku didn't had to wait for long as the program ended.

" _See you tomorrow."_ The woman in the TV said before Roshi shut the TV down.

"Ahh man, that was good!" Roshi smiled in delight as he stretched his arms and legs before he turned towards his former student. "So Goku, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to ask you if you can train Lucia, Hanon and Rina the way you trained me and Krillin." Goku smiled.

"You want me to train your friends in the ways of the Turtle House?" Master Roshi asked curiously.

"Yeah. They told me they wanted to get stronger, so that's why I came here to see if you can train them." Goku smiled.

"Hmmm." Master Roshi placed his hand on his chin in thought for a few moments. "I'm not really sure, those girls don't have any fighting experience whatsoever, at least in hand to hand combat. Besides, if you don't remember, it was very difficult for both you and Krillin to keep up with my training schedule and you had years of fundamental training." Roshi implied.

"Yeah I know, but they seem very eager to get stronger." Goku smiled.

"So were you two and you barely stayed conscious. But if you insist, I guess I can give them a chance." Roshi smiled.

"Woohoo, alright!" Goku cheered, raising his fists high. "Thanks Master Roshi!" He said cheerfully.

"Don't sweat it kid, but make sure they come here in three days. I still need that rest after the party we had not long ago." Roshi said.

"Okay." Goku nodded with a smile before he turned around. "See ya in three days Master Roshi!"

"See ya Goku!" Roshi called out as Goku jumped on his Flying Nimbus and flew towards the open sea.

"Oh boy, Lucia is going to be so happy when she hears these news." Goku smiled as his cloud flew faster and faster back home.

* * *

And so it was after three days of preparation, Goku, Lucia, Hanon and Rina arrived at Master Roshi's island, with the girls eager to commence his training regimen and get exponentially stronger in turn. That is if they can handle the difficulty of his training, for Roshi was really doubtful to their success, unlike with Goku and Krillin for obvious reasons. Nicole, along with Hippo and Launch, also tagged along, for she knew that the girls, especially Goku, will need a lot of delicious food to make up for all the energy they will deplete in their training sessions. After Roshi regressed his house in a capsule, he pulled out another one containing a hovercraft and entered the vehicle, along with the rest of the group, with Goku and Lucia following suit on Flying Nimbus.

"Hey Lucia. What do you say we fly around the island to show you where you will be training?" Goku smiled, with Lucia immediately nodding eagerly.

"Yeah, let's go." Lucia smiled, with Goku speeding up a bit to see the island.

Goku and Lucia quickly arrived to the island, where they started their little visit by flying above the village.

"Wow. I didn't know that people live on this island." Lucia said curiously.

"Yeah, I was surprised too when I first came here, I thought they were our competition or something." Goku chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"You're so silly." Lucia giggle cutely a bit before they flew forward.

Next they flew above the volcano, with Lucia taking in the sight with as much amazement like she did in their previous tour, never seen anything like it. Then they flew above the lake, above the jungle, the dessert, and lastly a huge mountain with a monastery on top. With that little tour done, Goku and Lucia returned to the same spot where Master Roshi placed his house all those years ago.

"Hey guys!" Goku called out from above as Roshi, Launch, Hanon, Rina, Nicole and Hippo settled in, with Goku and Lucia landing near the ground, so Lucia could dismount.

"So, I see you did a little sightseeing. I hope you memorized those places, because we will be visiting them when the training begins." Master Roshi smiled.

"Really? We will?" Rina asked curiously, with Roshi nodding in confirmation.

"Indeed." Roshi said to Rina before he turned around. "Alright girls, gather up and form the line." He instructed, with Hanon, Rina and Lucia doing what he said and formed a line in front of him.

"Now before we begin, I need to know of your previous training in martial arts. Have you girls had any to begin with?" Roshi asked. Though already knowing the answer to his own question, he still needed to hear the answer from the girls themselves.

"Umm, no." Lucia said innocently.

"Nuh huh." Rina shook her head slightly with folded arms.

"Not at all." Hanon said. Roshi sighed slightly in turn.

"As I thought. I guess I need to teach you what a punch and I kick is." Roshi said.

"We know how to punch and kick." Rina frowned slightly in outrage.

"Is that so? We'll see about that, won't we? Now take up your fighting stance." Roshi frowned slightly.

The three girls looked at each other before they listened to what he said. First it was Rina, who took what looked like a boxer's stance, with fists close to her face, while her feet remained mostly the same. Hanon had no idea how to take a fighting stance at all, so she tried to copy Rina's stance instead.

" _This is going to take a while, these girls don't know a damn thing about martial arts."_ Roshi thought as he grunted slightly.

When he looked at Lucia though, he noticed that her fighting stance is similar to Goku's, with her left foot forward, right foot back, her right fist clenched correctly and put near her right rib, while her left fist was raised near her face, her middle, index finger and thumb extended slightly.

"Hmm. I see Goku taught you a bit of that, didn't he?" Roshi smiled. Lucia smiled cheerfully and nodded before she looked at Goku, who smiled as he nodded in support with folded arms.

"Not too bad, but I'm afraid with your fighting experience, you still have multiple openings like your friends Hanon and Rina." Roshi said seriously as the three girls stood upright. "And since all of you are lacking completely in martial arts department, or any physical training to begin with, it will be extremely difficult for you three to keep up with my training, on the border of impossibility even." Then Roshi smiled. "But I could be wrong. First I'm going to need to test your current ability." He walked left and stood near a big boulder. "Let's see, we will start from over here all the way to that tree over there, which is about a hundred meters."

"You want us to race?" Lucia asked innocently.

"Running is a good test of speed and strength, though of course if you are an expert fighter you shouldn't be the one who has to run away. But it is a good alternative if the situation doesn't always end in fisticuffs." Roshi said.

"Okay, I get it." Lucia smiled brightly.

"A race? Alright then, I'll give it a go first." Rina smirked slightly.

"Ooo confident, are we?" Roshi smirked slightly.

"Well, I'm confident enough for those hundred meters. It shouldn't be that difficult." Rina smirked slightly.

"Okay then." Roshi said before he noticed Rina's butt as she leaned in her sprinting position. "Let me first get my stopwatch, I think I… dropped it somewhere around here." Roshi said in slightly obvious, lecherous tone that caught Rina's attention, angering her slightly.

"If you're looking at my butt, I'll kill you." Rina threatened, having a tick mark on her forehead as she gave Roshi a death glare, making him yelp in fear.

"No no, I was just looking for my stopwatch!" Roshi laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head while Lucia and Hanon sweat dropped in annoyance. It was plainly obvious that he was staring at her butt. Then Roshi coughed a bit, returning to his serious martial arts teacher persona.

"Alright, I'll go over there and time you." Roshi said, not taking long before he reached the tree. "Okay, are you ready?!" He called out.

"Yes, I am!" Rina exclaimed, frowning slightly.

"Now, on my mark… get set… GO!" Roshi shouted as he clicked his stopwatch and Rina sprinted as fast as she could to where he stood. Not long after, Rina sprinted past Roshi and the old master stopped timing, with Rina panting a bit from all that running.

"Hmm, 14,5 seconds. It's passable."

"Passable? You call that passable?" Rina said in frustration as she was slowly catching her breath.

"You'll see why." Roshi smiled before he looked at Lucia and Hanon. "Alright then, who's next?"

"I'll go!" Lucia said cheerfully before she ran next to the boulder Rina was, leaning down in sprinting position.

"On my mark, get set… GO!" Roshi exclaimed as Lucia sprinted as fast as she could, with her too sprinting past Roshi, panting moderately from the recent high speed running.

"15,1 seconds. Not bad." Roshi said.

"What? 15,1 seconds?" Lucia pouted angrily, with Rina giggling silently on her account.

"Now, the last one to check is Hanon!" Roshi said as he looked at his stopwatch before he looked at Hanon. "Alright, whenever you're ready!"

"Man, I barely even do exercises at the school gym, let alone outside of it." Hanon whined slightly before she frowned in determination. "Oh well, might as well give it a go."

"Ready… set… GO!" Roshi shouted as Hann sprinted like she had never sprinted before. Soon enough, she sprinted past Roshi, panting heavily and leaning her hands on her knees to keep her legs from collapsing.

"15,5 seconds, only 0,4 seconds late than Lucia." Roshi said. Lucia grinned playfully while Hanon pouted angrily.

"But I'm afraid that's nowhere near the time record when Goku and Krillin did this little test." Roshi said in slightly serious tone.

"What was their time?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Hmm. If my memory serves, Krillin's time was about 5,6 seconds." Roshi said casually.

"What?! 5,6 seconds?!" Lucia, Hanon and Rina shouted in shock.

"Yup. And Goku's time was 2 seconds flat." Roshi said casually, this time silencing the girls as they merely gawked in shock and disbelief, making Roshi chuckle light heartedly. "Don't let that discourage you. Since you are Goku's friends and you are pretty dedicated to my training, at least what I can see in your eyes, I'm willing to at least teach you what a punch and a kick is."

"Nice, that's a great place to start." Lucia smiled cheerfully.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to learn a thing or two about martial arts." Hanon smiled. Rina merely smiled as she nodded silently with folded arms.

"That's the spirit. Now, shall we?" Roshi smiled as he walked towards his house. The three mermaids nodded as they followed the old master.

* * *

For the next few hours, Roshi instructed the girls to properly throw punches and kicks, mostly the basics: jabs, uppercuts, hooks, low kicks, mid kicks and high kicks. The girls practiced the combination of those six basic attacks before they are experienced enough for advanced moves. That is if Roshi decides whether to continue with their training like he did with Goku and Krillin or just be honest and tell them that they are simply not ready for training of extreme intensity like his. The girls practiced all the way to the afternoon, with occasional breaks before it was time for Roshi's next test.

"And that is the brief explanation on how to go beyond your limits, which is something that I will hope to see tomorrow morning. You girls have one more task to perform before we go inside and eat that delicious supper. Now…" Roshi said before he crouched a bit and picked up a stone from the ground, where he wrote with his marker a turtle emblem on it.

"Take a good look at this stone. Have you memorized it?" Roshi asked, with the three mermaid princesses nodding, but in slight confusion.

"Yeah? What are we going to do with it?" Lucia asked curiously. But Roshi said nothing as he threw the stone at the dense jungle below the cliff they are standing.

"Oh yeah, I still got it." Roshi smiled a bit proudly.

"Wait. You want us to throw stones as far as we can?" Rina asked in slight confusion to his method of test as the three girls looked at the jungle below.

"No." Roshi said simply, drawing the attention of the three girls. "Throwing a stone is not a test here. The test is to find mine that I just threw."

"What?!" Lucia, Hanon and Rina exclaimed in shock.

"You see, anyone can throw a stone, just like anyone can throw a punch. But to find a stone takes a focused mind and a calm spirit. This is what will separate you from the others. And so, the person who finds it can keep the stone, while the one that doesn't can keep his appetite."

"Seriously?! No supper?!" Lucia, Hanon and Rina shouted in shock and disbelief.

"That's right. And if no one brings the stone back in thirty minutes, than neither of you gets to eat. So you better hurry, the clock is ticking." Roshi inquired.

The three girls finally snapped out of their mindnumbing shock and growled at each other angrily, immediately sprinting to the jungle below find the stone. They are maybe friends, but they were already hungry enough as it is, so neither of them plan to go to bed starving. Goku couldn't help but laugh lightheartedly at the predicament.

"Yup. That brings back memories." Goku smiled.

"Except this time it's different." Roshi said in slightly serious tone, drawing Goku's attention. "You and Krillin both had the chance from day one to brave the dangers of the jungle and bring that stone to me, due to your previous training. This time, I am worried that the girls might be in trouble from all the vicious predators lurking out there. They are maybe the mermaid princesses, but they never threw a fist their entire life and that is their current weakness." Then he looked at his former pupil. "Goku, I want you to fly above the jungle and keep an eye on the girls. But, I don't want you to even give them hints, let alone help them find the stone I threw, that will make this test pointless. Understand?"

"Yes. I understand, Master Roshi." Goku smiled as he nodded in agreement.

"Good. You better get a move on, but don't let the girls see you." Roshi smiled, with Goku jumping down the cliff just like he did years ago. But this time with the ability to fly, he can easily maneuver around the jungle without jumping from one tree to another.

Meanwhile, after five minutes of running, Lucia, Hanon and Rina entered the jungle, each taking separate ways.

" _I won't fail you Goku, I will find that stone."_ Lucia thought in determination as she continued to run.

" _There's no way I'm going to bed without food."_ Rina thought.

" _We're maybe friends, but I won't let them find it first."_ Hanon thought.

The three mermaid princesses rushed deeper and deeper into the jungle, desperately trying to find the round stone that Roshi threw, all the while being ever vigilant for any potential danger. As for Hanon, after trudging through the jungle for a while, she suddenly fell down and her legs were submerged in something aquatic, her form reverted to that of a mermaid.

"What the… what is this?! On no, don't tell me I fell into a swamp!" Hanon said in panic as she tried to squirm out of the swamp, but to no avail. "It's no use, I'm only sinking faster. Help! Please, someone help me! Help!" Hanon shouted as she waved her hands in panic. But the more she struggled, the more she panicked, with even tears forming in her eyes of her imminent demise. Despite being a mermaid, neither she nor any other aquatic creature is suited to survive the seemingly bottomless, mud-riddled swamp.

But suddenly, her salvation was at hand as a jungle vine bumped on her flailing hand, prompting Hanon to quickly grab onto it and pull herself out of the swamp. After she got out, she breathed heavily, regaining her composure.

"Man, talk about lucky. If it wasn't for that vine, I would have had lungs full of mud." Hanon said before she took her human form again and stood upright, frowning in determination. "Okay Hanon, time to go and find that stone." She then sprinted forward. Little did Hanon know that Goku saved her behind the scenes as he hid on one of the massive trees, tossing the vine from the nearby tree to save the blue mermaid princess. With Hanon saved, Goku proceeded to go and check on Rina and Lucia next.

At the same time, Rina looked around the jungle for herself to see if she can find Roshi's stone.

"Where could it be? Come on Rina, focus." Rina frowned in determination as she looked around. Meanwhile, a sabertooth tiger prowled behind the bushes, waiting for the moment to strike. Then the tiger immediately leapt straight towards Rina, with the green mermaid princess having only seconds to reach. Realizing she was done for, she raised her hands and closed her eyes, praying for a quick death. But it didn't turn out that way as a blur went past the tiger's back, where moments later the tiger was knocked unconscious. Rina opened her eyes, surprised to see the predator down for the count when it should have been her biting the dust.

"Wha… what happened?" Rina said in surprise as she looked around. "I don't see anyone else, how did it got knocked out like that? Whatever happened, I don't want to be here when it wakes up." Rina said before she ran away from the tiger. Just like with Hanon, Goku was the one responsible for saving her from the tiger, crouching on a large branch of the nearby tree. With her saved, the only mermaid princess left to check was Lucia.

"Man, what else am I going to see in this jungle? There's like a whole cornucopia of dangerous animals." Lucia said as she looked around in slight fear before she frowned in determination. "But I can't give up, I have to find that stone."

But suddenly, she felt the earth trembling as she heard someone stomping heavily. Then a rampaging triceratops smashed through the trees, with Lucia screaming in panic as she ran away from the scary looking dinosaur as fast as she could. As she continued to run, she tripped onto a rock and slammed down on the ground face first. It was at that point that her resolve was wavering rapidly, with hopelessness and sorrow starting to kick in.

"It's no use. I have ten minutes left, I'll never find the stone at this rate." Lucia frowned sadly as she turned around, sat on the ground and looked at the blank, round stone in front of her. "I'm sorry Goku, I failed you." She said as tears formed in her eyes. But moments later she gritted her teeth as she looked down at the stone. Frustrated and sad that she will have to return to Goku empty handed, she picked up the stone and was about to throw it. But from the corner of her eye, she saw shades of black on it. Upon closer inspection, she couldn't believe at what she found.

"No way! It's Master Roshi's stone!" Lucia said in surprise, wiping the tears from her eyes and smiled cheerfully. "Alright, I did it, what luck!" She then frowned in determination. "Now to return this stone back to Goku and Master Roshi." She then ran as fast as she could back home.

Meanwhile, Hanon and Rina trudged out of the jungle back to Roshi's house.

"I don't believe this, so much for tonight's dinner." Rina frowned in frustration.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna pass out, I'm famished after those punching and kicking lessons." Hanon whined as her stomach growled slightly.

"I found it!" A familiar voice shouted cheerfully from behind them, making Hanon and Rina turn around to see who it was, quickly discovering that it was Lucia.

"I found it, I found it, I found it!" Lucia repeated as she carried Roshi's stone.

"No way, she actually found it!" Hanon said in surprise.

"Alright, nice going Lucia." Rina smiled.

"Thanks you guys. I can't wait to get back and give it to Master Roshi." Lucia smiled cheerfully.

"Say Lucia? How do you know that's a real stone that Master Roshi threw?" Hanon said, making Lucia look at her innocently. "He probably threw several more during the time when we were searching for the right one. Let me take a closer look and see if it's the real deal." She smirked slyly. But Lucia was not a fool as many would believe as she immediately saw through her lame façade.

"Nice try Hanon, you're trying to steal this stone from me and eat dinner all by yourself." Lucia frowned in frustration as she clutched the stone next to her.

"What?! Are you calling me a liar?!" Hanon exclaimed in anger.

"Yeah, a big, fat liar." Lucia said angrily until their faces were inches apart, growling angrily at each other.

"Hey girls?" Rina suddenly said, drawing their attention. "While you two fight each other, I'm going to enjoy a delicious dinner. See ya!" Rina smirked, waving the two girls with the stone in her hand as she ran back to Roshi's house.

"Hey! Get back here!" Lucia and Hanon said angrily as they chased after Rina. The two mermaids chased Rina relentlessly, with Rina even being surprised they can keep up with her, let alone slowly catch up with her. While she ran, Rina smirked as she came up with a plan that might just work. She quickly turned around and stopped in her tracks, with Lucia and Hanon doing the same.

"Hand over that rock Rina, that's not fair!" Lucia said in frustration.

"Yeah, I was about to take that stone from Lucia, not you." Hanon frowned angrily.

"You want it? Then go and get it!" Rina frowned seriously as she casually tossed the stone as far as she could. Lucia and Hanon scream slightly in shock.

"What did you do Rina?!" Lucia shouted in shock.

"Are you insane?!" Hanon also shouted in shock as both of them sprinted towards the stone. Little did they know that it was just as Rina planned, tossing a plain rock and keeping Roshi's stone with her, a reminiscent of Krillin's cruel tactic against Goku all those years ago when they trained with Roshi.

"And that's how you do it." Rina smirked before she looked at Roshi's stone in her hand. "Now to hurry up and take this back to the old pervmaster." She said before she ran back towards his house.

Meanwhile, Goku and Master Roshi waited inside the house, with Roshi watching the TV while Goku was sitting on a sofa with crossed legs, waiting for the girls to come back. In the kitchen, Nicole and Launch readied a delicious dinner for the group, with Hippo helping her with the ingredients and what not.

" _Two minutes left and they still didn't come back. Maybe I should have stayed with them all the way to the end."_ Goku thought. But moments later after that thought, he heard someone opening the door.

"Goku! Roshi!" Rina called out as she entered the house, drawing the attention of the two.

"Hey Rina!" Goku smiled before he looked at her blankly. "Where's Lucia and Hanon? Aren't they with you?"

"No, but I think they're on their way back, since time is almost up." Rina said, concealing her lie with a smile before she looked at Roshi. "Here you go." She handed over the stone to Roshi, where the old martial arts master inspected the handwriting on it, making sure it wasn't a fake one like that stone Krillin brought him the first time, earning him a stone throw to the head.

"Hmm. How about that? You actually managed to find it." Roshi said before he smiled and looked at Rina. "Nicely done Rina, you've earned tonight's supper."

"Thank you." Rina smiled proudly as she slightly bowed her head down. Granted, what she had done to Lucia and Hanon was a hit below the belt, but those two would probably have granted her the same courtesy in this particular situation.

* * *

Later that night, Nicole, Roshi, Launch, Hippo and Rina were all sitting at the table eating a delicious dinner, this time not threatened by a poisonous puffer fish like Krillin and Roshi were years ago.

"Ahh man, this food is awesome." Rina smiled as she chewed on every bit of meal in front of her.

"My, you were really hungry, weren't you?" Launch smiled, currently in her innocent, sweetheart persona.

"Master Roshi, was it really necessary to be so strict towards Lucia and Hanon about not having dinner? They put as much effort out there today as Rina did." Nicole frowned slightly in concern.

"I understand your concern Nicole, but Goku didn't had any leniency either when he failed to bring the stone to me before Krillin. Those girls simply won't learn anything if I were to go easy on them. No martial artist can attain enlightenment they are looking for if the training is too easy, they have to push not only their bodies, but their minds as well to their utmost limits. That is the lesson that Goku and Krillin learned, along with Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu." Master Roshi said in slightly serious tone.

Rina listened to his wise words and now looked down on her plate in shame. True, she was not a martial artist by any means, she's an aquatic creature of royal blood after all, but even so Lucia managed to learn far more than she did in a short time span they have been given to find Roshi's stone. Or it could have been the fact that she was simply lucky to stumble upon that rock, but thievery is certainly not the way of Roshi's training, which is why she is currently feeling bad for it, especially considering the fact that Lucia was so desperately trying to prove herself to Goku in the ways of martial arts. Her mind now made, she decided to spill the beans and face the consequences.

"Master Roshi?" Rina frowned slightly.

"Yes Rina? What is it?" Roshi asked.

"About that rock I gave you. You see, I…" Rina stopped, but after a moment or two of hesitation out of fear of looking at disappointed faces when they hear the truth, she continued. "I didn't find the stone by myself. Lucia found it first, but I took that stone from her and brought it here as fast as I could. The truth is, I don't deserve this delicious meal."

After listening to her confession, the wise martial artist merely smiled at Rina.

"I disagree Rina." Roshi said in calm tone, surprising the green mermaid as she expected his reaction to be quite the contrary to his compassionate approach to the situation. "You think I didn't know about that? Krillin wasn't much different when he brought the stone to me. At first, he tried to give me a fake stone before he took the real one from Goku and brought it to me, much like you did from Lucia. But that's the point of competition, one trying to outdo the other and forcing them to use both brain and brawn to handle the situation at hand." Then Roshi smiled. "So don't beat yourself over it and continue eating. Your friends may remain hungry for the night, but as long as your friendship remains intact, then there's nothing to worry about. And your confession that you made at this table only solidifies that fact."

Rina couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was expecting a lot of scolding from both Nicole and Roshi, but there was none of that. It might have been the case if it was only Nicole present, but to hear surprise, she remained silent with Roshi around, probably wanting to hear the old master's say in the matter first. As for Roshi himself, she was surprised that he possesses exceptional wisdom, despite his perverted tendencies. Realizing that the old timer can be a person she can actually talk with, she smiled silently and bowed her head.

"Thank you Master Roshi." Rina smiled, with Roshi nodding with a smile of his own.

"Umm, don't you think something's really amiss here? Where's Goku?" Hippo asked curiously.

"Yeah, now that you've mentioned it, I expected for him to come here the instant he smelled the food." Nicole said as she looked left and right.

* * *

A few minutes earlier…

"Man, I'm so hungry. I don't think I'll ever fall asleep with my stomach growling." Lucia whined childishly as she sat on the ground outside the house, leaning on a tree as her stomach growled, rubbing her belly in hopes it will do anything to dampen her hunger.

"Hey Lucia." Goku suddenly said as he walked in front of her.

"Oh hey Goku. Why aren't you eating, isn't the dinner ready yet?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Well it is, but since I know Master Roshi won't let you eat, what do you say we get some food in the village below? We could also buy something for Hanon too." Goku smiled as he placed his fists on his hips. Lucia smiled brightly as she immediately got up on her feet.

"Yeah, let's go!" Lucia smiled brightly as she immediately got up on her feet, making Goku snicker childishly.

"After you." Goku smiled, with Lucia giggling as the two of them walked side by side downhill.

After twenty minutes of walking, they came across a large beach. The longer they walked around it, Goku found it to be quite familiar for some reason. But after a few moments of trying to remember, he smiled brightly as he looked up at the full moon above the sea, much to Lucia's curiosity.

"Hmm? What is it Goku?" Lucia asked innocently before she looked around, already recognizing this particular beach.

"Boy, I remember now. This is the place you took me to when I almost drowned all those years ago." Goku smiled.

"It is, isn't it?" Lucia smiled blissfully as she stood next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, looking at the full moon above her as well, having a flashback of that fateful day when she saved him, bringing him to this very beach.

"I still can't thank you enough for saving me back then. If it weren't for you, I would have been fish food at the bottom of the sea." Goku smiled, making Lucia giggle a bit.

"Stop thanking me, you goof, you already did that plenty of times." Lucia smiled as she slapped him playfully on his shoulder, making him snicker childishly a bit. "Besides, I would never let anything bad happen to you Goku." She looked at him blissfully, with Goku merely smiling as he looked in her beautiful eyes. Somehow Lucia seems prettier and prettier every time she makes that cute look, guess that's a feeling that is still taking some getting used to. Then Goku and Lucia sat down on the sand, taking in the scenery before them.

"This night really seems like that night all those years ago when we first met. I always knew that we would one day meet again. I didn't knew when, but I was sure of it all the same. You were certain of it as well, right Goku?" Lucia smiled cheerfully as she looked towards the sea, but it disappeared as she looked at rather silent Goku next to her.

"Goku?" Lucia said, only to find Goku snoring a bit in his sleep.

"I don't believe this. We are having a romantic moment here and you are sleeping." Lucia pouted angrily. But in the end there was no use in getting angry at him, this is Goku after all. Romance is definitely not his cup of tea, but at least he's trying in his own way, which is why her blissful thoughts returned in her mind quickly, leaning closer to his sleeping face.

"Sleep well, my dear Goku. You've earned it after saving us so many times." Lucia smiled blissfully as she kissed him on the cheek before she leaned back up, giggling cutely and blushing immensely, her strand of hair bending into shape of a heart. But she didn't know that Goku was merely pretending to be sleep, snickering childishly as he noticed her blushing heavily.

"Fooled ya. Man, you look really funny when you're all red like that." Goku smiled with one eye open, catching Lucia by surprise.

"Goku?! You've been awake all this time?!" Lucia screeched a bit, blushing heavily again, this time in embarrassment before she pouted angrily. "Unbelievable, you're such a jerk." She said, with Goku snickering childishly again. About a moment later, as if that wasn't embarrassing enough, her stomach started to growl again, making her even more embarrassed, covering her face at the amount of embarrassment she felt at the moment.

"Well, looks like it's time to go and get something to eat. Come on, let's go." Goku smiled as he grabbed her hand, much to her surprise as he lifted her on her feet. Lucia quickly composed herself and smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Sure, let's go." Lucia said before the two of them departed to the nearby village.

After ten more minutes of walking, Goku and Lucia reached the only local restaurant in the entire village. Normally Goku didn't bother to visit the place, due to always being a lot of food made by Launch at Roshi's house, but given the current predicament, he decided to take her there and eat with her as well, having more than enough money after the announcer proudly gave him the prize money for beating Piccolo at the World Martial Arts Tournament. After the young couple had their fill, they bought some food for Hanon before they departed.

* * *

Sometime later, after they returned home via Goku flying there with Lucia on his back. When they arrived, they landed on a window leading to the room where the girls will be sleeping, along with Nicole and Launch. When they peeked inside, they found Hanon lying on the bed all depressed, having a hunger issue of her own as her stomach growled.

"Hey Hanon." Lucia called out.

"Huh?" Hanon heard someone calling from her window, prompting her to get up and see who it is. "Lucia? Goku?"

"Are you hungry Hanon? We brought you some food." Goku said in low voice as Lucia gestured the meal box in her hand, not wanting to be loud enough for Roshi and the other below to hear her. When Hanon sniffed something really delicious, that was practically a music for her belly.

"You mean you guys bought food? For me?" Hanon smiled brightly, her eyes teary a bit for such a compassionate act.

"Yup. We already ate, so dig in." Lucia smiled as she approached and handed over the meal box to Hanon. The blue mermaid quickly put the box on the bed and hugged Lucia tightly.

"Oh thank you Lucia, thank you." Hanon said before she let her go and looked at her in the eyes with a sad frown. "I… I'm really sorry for my behavior back there in the jungle. I know you tried to prove yourself to Goku and yet we were both so selfish to get that stone for ourselves. Please forgive me."

"Hey, don't worry Hanon. That was not a sole reason I was looking for that stone, cause I was pretty hungry myself after all that workout we had with Roshi." Lucia laughed light heartedly.

"Yeah, no kidding." Hanon laughed too, joining the joyous laughter with Lucia and Goku, all's well that ends well as they say.

* * *

Several hours later at 4:30 AM, it was finally time to wake the slumbering pupils, trial pupils at best in this situation, and prepare them for today's training. After they all woke up, they went outside, with Goku and Roshi waiting outside as they got used to wake up this early in the morning, or at least Goku did. First it was Rina who went outside, along with Hanon, with both wearing tracksuits of respective colors. Then Lucia came out wearing the pink training outfit that Goku gave her for her birthday, much to Roshi's surprise as he immediately recognized the uniform's design.

"Hmm. Nice outfit you have there Lucia. I take it that Goku made that for you?" Roshi smiled.

"Yup. He gave me this uniform as a gift for my birthday, I love it so much." Lucia smiled brightly as she showed off her uniform.

"Isn't that sweet." Roshi smiled before he frowned seriously. "Alright girls, no more chit chat. It is time we commence with today's training."

"Right!" Lucia, Hanon and Rina nodded before they lined up in front of Goku and Roshi.

"So, is Goku going to be training with us as well?" Hanon asked curiously.

"He won't, Goku has long since surpassed my lessons, he will be my assistant in your training. As for you girls, I hope you're ready. I want you to know that today you are put on trial. Normally I don't do that with my pupils since I am extremely selective with them, like I was with Goku and Krillin, but since you are Goku's friends and you helped him defeat Gaito and his goons, I will make an exception for you. It is today that will decide whether I will continue with my teachings or call it quits and send you home." Roshi said in serious voice before he turned around. "Now, are you ready for my rigorous training schedule? There is no shame in turning back from this endeavor."

"No point either." Rina frowned slightly.

"Yeah, we came all this way and we will see this through to the end." Hanon said in determination.

"Right." Lucia nodded in determination as well.

"Alright then. We will start off with a brief run. Follow me." Roshi said as he started to run, followed by Goku, Lucia, Rina and Hanon. The group of five ran at moderate pace, pretty much the same routine that Goku remembers. Even though Roshi's training is now nothing for Goku, it could be more than the mermaids can handle, something that worries the young warrior slightly, but he believes in them nonetheless, especially Lucia.

After a while of running, the group stopped near the entrance of a milk depository where an anthropomorphic goat stored all the milk for the villagers present on the island.

"Good morning." Roshi smiled as he walked towards the goat man.

"He-e-e-elo Master Roshi. Long time no see." The goat man said.

"Yes, it has been a while. I assume you have those three crates of milk for me?" Roshi asked politely.

"Ye-e-es, here they are." The goat man said as he went to grab the crates.

"A goat man?" Lucia said innocently.

"Goku's power and skills are one thing, but seeing animal people like him still takes some getting used to." Rina said while scratching her cheek, with Lucia and Hanon nodding in agreement. Not long after that statement, the goat man brought out three milk crates.

"Alright girls, I want you to take each crate to deliver across the countryside." Roshi said, much to the surprise of the girls.

"What? Deliver milk?" Hanon complained in outrage.

"But I thought you were going to train us, not make us deliver milk." Lucia pouted slightly in frustration.

"Yeah, it may seem strange, but trust me, this will give you an _intense_ workout." Goku smiled with folded arms.

"You think so?" Lucia asked curiously.

"I know so." Goku smiled.

"Alright girls, let's do as he says." Rina smirked slightly as she went first to grab a milk crate. How difficult could this possibly be anyway? When she took the crate, Lucia and Hanon followed as they too took the crates.

"I still don't understand how can this be training." Hanon said.

"Now, let's skip three miles to the first house on our list." Roshi said as he looked at the milk delivery route on foot they can take.

"Three miles?!" Lucia, Hanon and Rina shouted in shock.

"Yes. Now quit complaining and get a move on." Roshi said casually as he turned around and started to skip, followed by Goku and the three girls.

"Skip, two, three, four, skip, two, three, four…" Roshi and Goku chanted, along with Lucia, Hanon and Rina, albeit barely as they tried to skip without tripping on their legs.

"How much further again?!" Hanon exclaimed as she fell behind a bit.

"Only two more miles Hanon. Skip, two, three, four…" Roshi continued to chant, along with Goku. While Lucia barely kept up the pace along with Rina, Hanon started to fall behind, struggling to keep up with her friends, not daring to fall behind.

After they skipped the three miles and two more after reaching the second house, the three girls already started to tire out, due to not being exposed to physical exercise of this intensity in their whole life. Roshi noticed that with every mile they were starting to lag behind, which was not good, but that is something he won't reveal to the girls, so he doesn't shatter their resolve.

"Not bad, but that was only the second house on our list. Now, for the next two miles…" Roshi said as he looked at his map.

"Man, we barely started and my legs are trembling." Hanon complained slightly.

"We will zig zag between the trees along this path." Roshi said as he pointed at the road in front of them with his staff. Not wasting time, Roshi started the exercise, followed by Goku and the mermaid princesses.

"Zig, two, zag, four, zig, two, zag, four…" Roshi and Goku chanted, but barely for Lucia, Hanon and Rina as they struggled to catch their breath while zig zagging from one tree to another. While Roshi and Goku were effortlessly zig zagging, the three girls were greatly falling behind, not near enough tempo that Goku and Krillin had during their training. While Rina was running, she smirked as she came up with the idea. Since they are busy zig zagging, Rina will simply run down the path.

"Oh yeah, much easier. Zig, two, zag, four…" Rina chanted as she casually ran down the path, not noticing that Roshi deliberately stopped to catch her trying to cheat her way through this exercise.

"Rina?!" Roshi scolded, making Rina stop in her tracks, instantly making her flinch in fear of being caught.

"Sorry sir, I'll start over lickity split!" Rina said nervously as she ran to the very beginning of the forest. Roshi couldn't help but chuckle a bit, since this is the same thing Krillin tried to do, but was also caught in the act.

Roshi and Goku were done zig zagging, but the three girls still had a long way to go, so the two martial artists waited for the girls to finish the exercise.

"They are really falling behind Goku. I doubt they'll be able to stay conscious long enough to even finish the early morning exercise, let alone the others that follow." Roshi said.

'"Don't worry Master Roshi. They are maybe slow, but they are still going at it, right?" Goku smiled with folded arms.

"They need to be much faster than this, at least on the speed that you and Krillin were back then. They are maybe girls, but don't expect for me to go easy on them Goku." Roshi said in slightly serious tone.

After the girls were finally finished zig zagging, they finally arrived near the house to place a milk in the box.

"You girls really need to pick up the pace or the milk is going to curdle." Roshi said. But the three girls were too exhausted to listen as all three of them plopped on the ground, panting heavily as they tried to catch their breath.

"Hey! Did I say that you can rest?!" Roshi shouted angrily, scaring the girls as they darted back up on their feet.

"Much better." Roshi smiled before he turned around. "You girls earned a break from running, so we will climb a few stairs instead." Roshi said as he went up the stairs followed by Goku.

"Well, that's a relief." Lucia sighed.

"I'll say, my legs are killing me." Hanon complained childishly a bit. But the girls shouted in mindnumbing shock as they discovered that those 'few stairs' is actually miles above the mountain where there is a monastery on the top.

"Are you for real?! What is this, a training in suicide?!" Rina shouted in outrage. Now Lucia and Hanon's legs gave in as they plopped down on the floor again, this time without Roshi scolding them with him and Goku going to the top.

While the girls were trudging up the mountain, Goku and Roshi took the liberty of having a conversation with his pupil near the monastery.

"Goku, were you even aware of the level of difficulty of my training before you decided to bring those girls to me?" Roshi asked.

"But Master Roshi, you said you were going to give them a chance." Goku said innocently.

"I did. And they failed the test miserably." Roshi said in slightly serious tone, much to Goku's dismay. "Look, I know they want to get stronger so they could protect their kingdoms and their people beneath the sea, but this level of training is simply way out of their league. At the rate they are going, they are not going to reap any benefits from this training schedule whatsoever, they will only damage their bodies to the point of no recovery. If this keeps up, I'm afraid I'll have to send them home. I don't want to be responsible if they inflict a permanent Injury on themselves during this training."

"Don't worry Master Roshi. If one of them gets injured, I'll just give them a Senzu Bean and they'll be as good as new." Goku smiled brightly.

"Would that help them condition their bodies, even in the slightest?" Roshi said. Goku couldn't help but agree with him on that one, during their training with Roshi, their bodies conditioned significantly to his training schedule on their own after a good rest. If he were to eat the Senzu Beans back then, then his body would not be able to naturally get used to the intensity of Roshi's training and it would basically be going back to square one. Except for Goku himself, which is something he can't explain when he recovered from mortal injury, receiving a major power boost to rival that of transformed Gaito and Piccolo.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Goku said, scratching his chin.

"They are simply far weaker than you and Krillin before you arrived to be trained under me. Their bodies are fragile, not conditioned to any physical training whatsoever. I mean, we were supposed to be finished with the early morning exercise by now. I'm sorry to disappoint you Goku, but if this keeps up, I'll call off their training and send them home. For their own good." Roshi said in slightly serious tone. Goku had nothing to say as in a way, he was right. But he doesn't want to see the probable sad reaction from the girls when they hear these news. But for now, Roshi was agreeable to at least let them finish early morning training.

An hour and a half later, the three mermaids finally reached the mountain top, completely out of breath. Their determination may be admirable, but their performance is poor. Roshi couldn't blame them though, like he said to Goku, their bodies are simply too fragile for training of his intensity. And that showed with their very poor performance. In truth, if it weren't for Goku around, they would have been severely injured or dead with the exercises that followed: Balancing themselves above the canyon, with the girls falling down several times and Goku saving them each time, bringing them to the other side. Almost being completely consumed by the desert sands due to their very slow pace, the time when they were almost swept away by the currents near the waterfall and even having to step in when a T-rex was chasing them, knocking the dinosaur unconscious before they finally reached their home after several hours of struggle, their bodies paralyzed in extreme fatigue, barely finding the strength to stay conscious.

"Man… I'm… so… tired." Rina said between heavy breaths.

"My… body fells so… paralyzed." Hanon said also between hear heavy breaths as her body was twitching on it's own.

"Well… at least we're… done." Lucia panted between heavy breaths.

"Oh please, that was only an early morning exercise." Roshi frowned slightly. The girls were immensely shocked, but were very tired to show it physically as they merely looked at the old master. "Now it's time to commence the mid-morning exercises."

It was that point that the three girls had all they could take both mentally and especially physically, their minds giving in and knocking themselves unconscious, falling into a deep slumber.

"Oh my." Roshi said.

"Man, they're really tuckered out." Goku chuckled nervously.

"This only confirms my claim. Let them rest Goku. When they wake up, they will have to face the truth." Roshi said as he turned around and went towards his house. Normally he proceeds with his training schedule all the way with his pupils, motivating them and helping them anyway he can, but in this case it's for the best to send them home for reasons he already explained to Goku. Goku frowned sadly and looked at Lucia's sleeping form. He really wished it didn't come to this, but it would seem that Roshi had his say.

* * *

Later that day in the afternoon, the girls finally woke up, being sufficiently rested to at least stand up.

"Man that was a good rest." Rina smiled as she stretched her arms above her head.

"Wait, for how long were we asleep?" Lucia asked curiously.

"For six hours to be exact." Roshi suddenly said from behind them. The girls noticed that the house was gone behind them, with Goku, Launch, Nicole and Hippo having sad frown on their faces for some reason.

"What's the matter, did something happen?" Lucia asked innocently.

"Well, I hate to be blunt, but I'm afraid you failed the test. I'm cancelling this training program." Roshi said in serious voice. Lucia, Hanon and Rina were shocked to hear the news, Lucia more so.

"What?! We did?!" The three girls exclaimed in shock.

"I'm afraid so. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that's how it is." Roshi said. Rina was expecting that kind of answer from Roshi, judging from their poor performance where even Goku had to intervene. Hanon was inwardly glad that this torture session they call training is done and over with, she thought she would die before she even finished the early morning training, but Lucia was the one among the three mermaids who was most distraught about it.

"Please Master Roshi, can you give us another chance?! We will try harder next time, I promise!" Lucia pleaded whole heartedly, but Roshi merely shook his head in decline, sending a surge of slight pain in Lucia's heart as she let out a low tone gasp.

"Listen girls, enduring this kind of training will do nothing for you, it will only damage your bodies to the point beyond natural repair. I can see an unwavering determination in your eyes… well, in two of you at least." Roshi said, implying at Hanon, who pouted in frustration. "But you simply don't have what it takes to endure the rigorous martial arts training under the Turtle House." He said, with Lucia frowning sadly and bowing her head down in disappointment.

"Then how did Goku and Krillin managed to endure your training all the way?" Rina frowned slightly.

"It's simple. Both of them had years of fundamental training to go by before they became my pupils. Krillin trained for eight years with the monks of the Orin Temple and Goku was trained by his grandfather Gohan since he was practically in diapers. You girls on the other hand are completely different story in this department. Brave as you are and as beneficial as your singing ability may be that comes for being a mermaid princess, in martial arts you are square one novices, plain and simple. I'm sorry I have to be blunt, but it's the truth. If you want to improve yourselves and be strong fighters, you have to take baby steps by starting from scratch and slowly progress your way from ground up." Roshi explained.

Now the three girls remained silent, looking down on the ground in disappointment. Roshi wished he could tell them they could endure his training if given a lot more effort, but even then he would knew that to be a lie, for those three girls gave their absolute maximum and it still wasn't enough. The girls simply weren't ready, there is no beating around the bush. With that said, Roshi turned around and headed towards the coast where he could use his hovercraft capsule and head home. Goku felt really bad for Lucia, he could tell she was really trying to train and endure Roshi's exercises like he did, but it simply wasn't enough, her body was too weak to handle anything remotely as difficult as Roshi's training. He doesn't know what to say to make her feel better, all he could do at the moment is watch silently with slightly worried frown as Lucia, Hanon and Rina were trudging back home, followed by Goku himself.

* * *

Several hours later, the night fell as the stars and the moon dotted the sky, the moonlight shining through the roof window of Lucia's room, with the mermaid princess herself in pink pajamas lying on her bed in thought of today's not so pleasant events.

"That training session was a total disaster, I only managed to make a total fool out of myself." Lucia whined. Then she groaned sadly as she plopped on her stomach and burrowed her face on her pillow. "I don't even have the courage to show my face in front of Goku again, what an embarrassment." Then she lifted her head up slightly from the pillow, having a sad frown on her face. "Ugh, what's the point? I tried to do my best and make Goku proud of me, but… I didn't." Lucia said as a single tear dropped on the pillow.

Not a moment later did Lucia heard someone knocking on the roof window above her. Lucia wiped the tears from her face and turned around, looking up to see what was knocking on it. Upon closer inspection, she found a familiar person waving his hand with a bright smile on his face.

"What? Goku?" Lucia said to herself before she stood up and moved the curtains, opening the window for Goku to enter, with the young warrior doing just that.

"Hi." Goku smiled, raising his hand to greet her.

"Hey there Goku, what are you doing here this late?" Lucia asked curiously.

"Well, I got a little hungry, so I went to get something to eat. When I went back home, I was flying near your place, so I came to see what you were doing." Goku smiled. Even though seeing Goku brightened Lucia's mood slightly, it wasn't enough as she looked down sadly.

"What's wrong Lucia?" Goku asked innocently, but Lucia said nothing as she sat on her bed, not averting her gaze from the floor. After a few moments of silence, with Lucia not willing to spill the beans of what's troubling her, Goku quickly figured out that it must have been the failed training session she did with Roshi. He couldn't blame her at all, Lucia was not a martial artist like he is, so she didn't had the luxury he had when he started training with Roshi. She was a fighter in her own way, but not as a martial artist. Still, he wished he could help her cheer up somehow, seeing her sad expression makes him worry slightly.

"It's about Master Roshi's training, isn't it?" Goku asked, with Lucia merely nodding silently. "Come on, it can't be that bad." He smiled, trying to cheer her up, but it disappeared as he didn't notice Lucia to be even budging from her bed, her expression still the same. "Or it... might be." He said innocently before he smiled and knelt down near her sad face. "Hey, wanna come tomorrow to watch me train like you always do? We can even eat the amazing food you always cook." He said, but again Lucia remained the same, the smile on Goku's face disappearing, a concerned look now present on his face.

" _She looks so sad."_ Goku thought as he sat down with folded arms and legs, looking down in thought. Then an idea popped in his mind after a few moments of brainstorming.

"I know! What do you say that _I_ train you, how does that sound?" Goku smiled brightly.

"Huh? _You_ want to train me?" Lucia asked curiously, finally responding to his words.

"Yeah. If it's that important to you, I'd be happy to teach you a thing or two." Goku smiled. Lucia smiled brightly as she lunged at Goku in pure joy, hugging him tightly around his neck.

"Thank you Goku, thank you so much!" Lucia said cheerfully as she rubbed her cheek on his. "Wait. What about your training sessions?" Lucia asked curiously before she frowned sadly, looking at his signature orange shirt. "If you train me, then I would just get in the way of your daily routine."

"Hey, don't sweat it." Goku smiled as she gently lifted her chin for her eyes to meet with his. "I always manage to make the most out of my training when time is the issue. And besides, you look like you really want to get stronger and be a true martial artist. And that is something I definitely wouldn't say no to."

"Oh Goku. Thank you." Lucia smiled lovingly as she kissed him on the lips, with Goku reciprocating the kiss. After a few moments, Lucia broke from the kiss and stood up. "Well, time to go to sleep. Wish you could stay here a lot longer but…" Then she yawned sleepily. "I feel so beat I bet I can sleep through winter like a bear."

"Yeah, I bet you do." Goku snickered childishly before he turned towards the window. "Well, speaking of which, I feel a little sleepy too. See ya tomorrow!" He then hopped on the window, jumping gracefully in the air before he flew up and headed home.

"Wow. I really need to learn how to do that." Lucia smiled brightly as she looked in amazement at Goku flying so freely up in the night sky as far as she could see him at nighttime. Then she closed the window and pulled the curtains, lying on her bed and falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

The next day around noon, Goku was doing his usual training session, throwing fast and furious punches and kicks in mid-air, evading and maneuvering sideways, pretending to fight an imaginary opponent.

"Goku! Gokuu!" A familiar voice called out from the ground, putting a halt to Goku's training temporarily.

"Hey, Lucia!" Goku smiled brightly as he landed near Lucia to find her wearing the pink and blue outfit he gave her for her birthday, with the pink mermaid wearing with pride and joy.

"Looks like you're determined to see this through. So, are you ready for _my_ training exercises?" Goku smiled.

"Yes!" Lucia smiled cheerfully as she nodded quickly.

"There are a few things I need to tell you first."Goku smiled, with Lucia listening carefully to what he is going to say. "Before we begin, I want to tell you that I might turn out to be a stricter teacher than Master Roshi. But, like he said yesterday, we will start from scratch and work our way up, so you can before a brilliant fighter, both in body and in mind." Then he frowned seriously. "And for that I want you to be fully committed to this training, because in the end it's all up to you whether you want to be a strong martial artist like me or not."

"Right." Lucia frowned slightly as she nodded. She seriously doubts she can be as strong as him, but she still wants to be plenty strong to stand a chance against future enemies.

"The training that we will do will be progressively harder and harder over time, requiring you to use all of your willpower and push your body beyond its limits to reach a new level of strength, something that I constantly did over the years." Goku said seriously. But then Goku smiled as he placed his hand on her shoulders. "But hey, let's do it one step at the time. I don't want to overwhelm you and discourage you from training before it even begins. Now, are you sure you're ready to follow my instructions to the letter?"

Lucia looked at Goku with an almost conflicted expression to all this, but in the end she frowned in determination and nodded.

"Yes. Let's do it." Lucia said.

"I'm glad to hear it. Then let the training begin!" Goku said cheerfully as he raised his fist high.

"Yeah!" Lucia shouted cheerfully as she raised a fist of her own.

And with everything said and done, Lucia officially became Goku's pupil. The training she will endure in days to come will be tough indeed, but with Goku himself as her teacher, that fact alone gave her an immense boost in confidence, knowing for certain that she will give her all and make her beloved Goku proud of her.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi everyone, yup the new chapter is here and thus the continuation of this story. Sorry if it took too long, been half a year since i last updated this story i know, but this whole time was working on the other story called Darksiders DXD. But after a lengthy consideration, i decided to continue to put Darksiders DXD to a halt and continue with this story so... rejoice! For Goku's adventures with Lucia continues in the next chapter :)**


	28. Chapter 28

~A friend or foe?~

Not long after Goku took Lucia in as his pupil, the young warrior commenced teaching the mermaid princess in the ways of martial arts. Although her powers as a mermaid princess are useful, especially her singing ability, after the previous battles she decided to forge her body into a weapon that she deems a fitting alternative if the enemies in the future are resistant to their voices, like Gaito was when six of them were together. Also she found fascination in Goku's techniques when he executed them, like the Afterimage Technique. She may not be able to ever pull off an amazing attack like the Kamehameha Wave, but nonetheless she is eager to learn the moves and techniques Goku has to teach her, most notably the ability to fly.

The training schedule that Goku had in mind are the exercises he usually does, but on a very basic level: pushups, sit ups, sprints, acrobatics, parkour here and there, punching and kicking exercises, dodging and blocking Goku's attacks and the other exercises Goku can think off for Lucia. Thanks to Kami's help, Goku was able to get a hand on several weighted training outfits ranging from light to very heavy, something that Lucia is needed to wear to limit her movements, so that her body would be able to eventually adapt to the added weight during her training, much like Goku adapted to Roshi's heavy turtle shell and got exponentially stronger in turn. However, Goku knew that Lucia could potentially hurt herself if she's not careful with the added weight, hoping she won't bend her ankle or something, which is why he is watching her every step while he is instructing her. But he knew she could do it, he believes in her and he knows that she will give her all to complete her training. She may not have a fighting talent, but he could see potential in her, something that Goku is eager to bring out.

Eight months had passed in relative calmness and much to Goku's own surprise during that period, Lucia was progressing amazingly well. With many trials and tribulations conquered, doubts laid to rest and with hardcore determination, Lucia's strength increased exponentially, reaching Goku's level of strength when he finished the Turtle Hermit training all those years ago. It was a very long and arduous trip, but Lucia did it. Goku smiled proudly with folded arms as he noticed Lucia dashing left and right, punching and kicking, performing various combos that Goku showed during their eight month period. Then Lucia finished throwing punches and kicks and landed near Goku.

"Great work Lucia, you really came far ever since we started our training, I'm so proud of you." Goku smiled.

"Thank you Goku. Your words mean so much to me." Lucia blushed as she looked down shyly.

"Well, now is the time to remove that weighted gear from yourself." Goku smiled as he placed his fists on his hips.

"Remove them? Umm, okay." Lucia said curiously before she started removing her weighted wristbands, followed by her boots. When she started removing her undershirt, she realized that Goku was still looking at her.

"Goku, can you please turn around?" Lucia said as she blushed slightly.

"Huh? Why?" Goku asked innocently.

"Just turn around, please!" Lucia exclaimed, too embarrassed to show her breasts in front of Goku.

"Fine, I'm turning around, sheesh." Goku shrugged as he turned his back on the mermaid. Lucia then proceeded to remove her undershirt and put her pink shirt back on.

"Oh wow, I feel as light as a feather, amazing!" Lucia said cheerfully as she hopped a few times.

"See how high you can jump and then you'll be really impressed." Goku smiled as he turned towards her. Lucia did just that and jumped like a speeding bullet high in the air, where she could see the entire beach from the height she reached. Then she fell down and landed gracefully on her feet. Lucia couldn't believe how drastically she improved in eight months.

"Woohoo, look how fast I can run!" Lucia shouted happily as she darted at high speed across the beach, while Goku merely smiled, proud of her accomplishment. After the hype subsided a bit, Lucia quickly ran and stopped in front of Goku. "Wow, I can't believe I got this strong and fast, it's incredible!" Lucia said cheerfully.

"I know that feeling. Well, congratulations Lucia, it seems that your training is complete." Goku smiled.

"Well that's good, I really need several days of break. The training was worth the results, but boy am I beat." Lucia smiled as she stretched her arms high, feeling her very bones ache from all the constant, intense training she did after all this time.

"Yeah, you deserve it, but that doesn't mean you should quit on your training altogether. If you want to remain on a level that you reached now, you have to maintain that intensity. And if you feel like surpassing your limits, just remember what I told you and you'll do great." Goku smiled, with Lucia nodding in agreement.

"I will. But can I still come here to watch you train?" Lucia smiled.

"Sure anytime, you can even spar with me sometimes if you want to." Goku smiled brightly.

"Yeah, I'll think about it when I'm feeling up for it." Lucia chuckled nervously as she scratched her chin before she smiled again. "But I think I'll take a break for now. Thank you for everything you've taught me, I'll use this strength to protect my friends and my people in North Pacific."

"I know you will, you've always been so caring towards everyone." Goku smiled. This time Lucia merely smiled lovingly as she started in his beautiful, onyx eyes for a few moments. Then she put her boots and wristbands on before she held onto her undershirt, being too embarrassed to put it on with Goku watching.

"Well, time for me to go." Lucia smiled before she kissed him on his cheek and hovered in the air, a flying ability that she eagerly learned from Goku. "See ya Goku!"

"Bye Lucia!" Goku waved cheerfully as she flew back home.

" _Man, she sure is amazing. I never would have guessed that she would reach this far, but then again I never doubted she would. In only eight months she managed to reach the level of strength I reached after Master Roshi's training, even after years of training with my grandpa. Guess being a mermaid, especially a princess has its perks."_ Goku thought as he turned around and clenched his fists.

"Alright, speaking of which, I think it's time to do my own intensive training." Goku smirked as he cracked his knuckles. Then he bent them close to his hips and disappeared in a blur, dashing across the beach at high speed for a while before he reappeared in mid-air and immediately readied his Kamehameha Wave.

"HYAAAA!" Goku shouted as he unleashed his attack towards the sea.

* * *

Later that day, Lucia reached her home back at Pearl Hotel, having a conversation with Hanon and Rina.

"I dunno how in the world did you not fall apart after all this time Lucia. First week or so, I felt like I was going to puke out my insides after those 'exercises', let alone last for eight months straight." Hanon said in wonder and amazement.

"That's Lucia for you. When it comes to Goku, her determination is unbreakable. "Rina smiled as she looked at Hanon before she turned her attention at Lucia." I'm honestly impressed and surprised that you would go as far as being a martial artist like Goku."

"Yeah, but after seeing him fly and doing those amazing techniques, I couldn't help but be eager to learn them for myself. But so far I'm more than content with flying, it's an incredible sensation in and of itself." Lucia smiled widely, squeeing a bit in pure glee.

"I bet it is. If I were to fly on Goku's cloud like you did, I would probably be content to learn how to fly like you did." Rina smiled.

"Man, I'm so jealous of you Lucia. But then again, I don't want to go through eight months of torture to make that fantasy a reality." Hanon said bluntly, with Lucia chuckling nervously as she scratched her cheek, moderately agreeing with her statement.

"So, are you going to keep up with your training or are you going to be the usual slacker that you are?" Rina smirked slightly, deliberately taunting her friend.

"Hey! Of course I will!" Lucia whined childishly, making Hanon and Rina laugh slightly. But this time Lucia ignored their taunts and smiled again, looking at her clenched fist. "After seeing what Goku can do and the possibility of me learning his techniques, I have to at least maintain this level of strength. Besides, like I said many times, if our singing doesn't cut it, this is a fitting alternative for me to protect you guys if we get in trouble."

"It would appear so. I don't usually back down either, but I didn't had near enough determination like you did to endure Goku's intense training sessions for eight months straight." Rina grinned nervously a bit as she rubbed her shoulder.

"Yeah, me neither. What I said was true about protecting my kingdom and my people, but Goku's training was apparently more than I can handle." Hanon whined slightly.

"Don't worry Hanon, we'll find our way to improve ourselves as well, we need to be prepared for anything that future events might throw at us." Rina frowned slightly, with Lucia nodding in agreement.

"Besides, if it ever comes that I will be forced to use my fists, I will protect you both the best I can." Lucia smiled in determination as she clenched her fists. Hanon and Rina noticed that Lucia gained a significant amount of confidence during her training with Goku, especially now that she graduated his lessons, at least the basics. But even so, they were glad she is still the same old Lucia, her mind not affected by even a shred of arrogance with her increase in strength and speed.

"Sounds like a plan." Hanon smiled, with Rina nodding in agreement.

"Yes, but remember who you really are Lucia. You are now well versed in martial arts, that's true, but you are still a mermaid princess. I want you to keep that in mind." Rina smiled.

"I know. A mermaid princess who has two other mermaid princesses for her best friends." Lucia smiled, with the three girls laughing light-heartedly at her true statement.

* * *

Three days later in the afternoon, Goku and Lucia were walking on the road near the beach back home after what seemed an eternity of school time, with Hanon and Rina leaving the two lovebirds alone as usual.

"Man, I hate school!" Goku whined childishly before he stretched his arms wide in the air and put them behind his head. "It seems like it's more boring this year then it was the last year. How long do I have to do this thing again?"

"Well this year and two more years." Lucia smiled.

"Ahh maan!" Goku whined childishly, with Lucia giggling cutely on his account. "Well alright then, I'll beat this thing for two more years and then I'll be able to train without boring school slowing me down." Goku smirked as he pumped his fist in front of him.

"Yeah, I bet you do." Lucia smiled as she shouldered him playfully, making Goku smile as he figured out her playful nature. "So, I bet you can't wait to start your training tomorrow, right?"

Right after she asked that question, Goku stopped in his tracks in front of her, his face hidden from Lucia's point of view behind the young warrior.

"Actually, I was planning to return to Mount Paozu tomorrow." Goku said in surprisingly low and slightly serious voice.

"What?" Lucia said in surprise and slight shock, still holding her bag with both of her hands. "You're leaving?" Then she frowned sadly and walked next to him. "But why?"

Goku said nothing as he remained uncharacteristically quiet, having a flashback of that rainy day when he had to bury his grandfather when he was but a little boy, his face stained in tears at the sudden loss of someone he held dear so much, someone who raised him since he was in diapers. Even though he got to see him again when he visited Fortuneteller Baba in trying to find the Dragon Balls, the scar of the fateful day can still be felt in his heart, despite his usually cheerful and carefree personality that his friends know him well for.

"You see, tomorrow will be the day when my grandpa died by that giant monster I told you about. And since that day, I visited his grave each year, even though his spirit guided me in his four star Dragon Ball." Goku said in slightly serious voice before he looked at Lucia. "And that's why I must go, I would dishonor my own grandpa if I'm not there."

Lucia looked at him blankly, listening to every word he said before she smiled in compassion, completely understanding his pain.

"Then you should go." Lucia said in gentle voice as she held his hand, wrapping her fingers around his hand. "Take all the time you need. I'll be waiting for you here, with a lot of delicious food to cheer you back to that goofy Goku I know and love." Lucia smiled cutely, making Goku's heart melt from her cute expression, something that won't get old anytime soon.

"Thanks Lucia." Goku smiled. Then the two of them continued to walk forward, with Goku entwining his own fingers around Lucia's. Even though it was usually weird for him to hold hands with someone, other than his grandpa when he was a child, holding hands with Lucia was rather soothing to say the least, as if all the positive energy is transferred from her hand in his very body, the only kind of explanation he could think of in that moment.

* * *

The next day that followed in Goku's house, the young warrior readied several of his belongings to take with him, with Lucia waiting for him in front of the house. After several minutes, Goku got out, bag strapped to his back.

"Well, I'm all set." Goku smiled as he stood in front of Lucia. "Guess I'll be seeing you soon."

"I know." Lucia frowned sadly as she looked down on the ground before her eyes connected with Goku. "But the truth is, I'm going to fell a little lonely when you're gone."

"What, can't stand being without me?" Goku teased as he smiled with a wide, toothy grin, simply enjoying teasing Lucia from time to time.

"Yeah, very funny." Lucia pouted angrily, with Goku snickering childishly.

"Don't worry, if you are so impatient for me to come back, you can always use my Flying Nimbus to visit me." Goku smiled as he placed his fists on his hips.

"What? But I thought that only you can call for the cloud." Lucia said with blank expression.

"Now you can too. Go on, give it a try." Goku smiled.

"Okay." Lucia nodded quickly as she smiled brightly, turning around and looking towards the sky. "FLYINB NIMBUS!"

And almost on cue, Goku's signature cloud descended near Lucia, much to her surprise and joy.

"Oh wow! Does that mean I can call for Nimbus cloud anytime I want to?" Lucia smiled cheerfully.

"Yup. Now when you're feeling up for it, you can just call for it and enjoy yourself." Goku smiled.

"Oh thank you Goku, thank you!" Lucia said cheerfully as she hugged him tightly around his neck, with Goku reciprocating the hug before she let go a moment or two later.

"Well, time for me to go." Goku smiled before he started to hover above the ground, slowly rising in the air.

"Goku, wait!" Lucia called out suddenly.

"Huh?" Goku said as he looked down.

"Aren't you going to use the Nimbus cloud to reach Mount Paozu? It is very far away from South City." Lucia asked with innocent expression.

"I know, but now that I can fly, I'll reach Mount Paozu much faster this way. You should do the same, it will be a great way for you to master your flying technique. That way, you will reach the point where flying becomes natural to you." Goku smiled.

"I will." Lucia nodded as she smiled brightly.

"Well, I'm off. See ya!" Goku smiled cheerfully before he flew fast in the air.

"Bye Goku!" Lucia waved her hand cheerfully. Even when he is departing, Goku always has a way to cheer her up. Knowing he will come back, she will eagerly wait for his return.

"Well, since you're here, you might as well take me back to the Pearl Hotel." Lucia smiled as she hopped onto the cloud. She meant what she said about mastering her flying technique, but another day.

"Let's go Nimbus!" She said cheerfully as the cloud darted in the sky.

* * *

Later that day in the afternoon, Goku reached the gravesite of his grandfather a good distance away from his house, placing a handful of white carnations near his grandpa's tombstone. Goku remembered how Gohan told him that these were the very flowers that he picked each year for his deceased wife and son before he secluded himself in these very mountains. Knowing this, Goku decided to honor his adoptive grandparent the same way, each year visiting his grave on this very day and then moving on with his adventures each time. His determination to honor Gohan was so strong that he even defied Kami himself during his period of training with him, where the Guardian of the Earth in the end granting his wish to honor his deceased grandparent, under the condition that he returns to the Lookout soon after.

"Well, even though I got to see you again back then grandpa, I will not break my promise. I'll still visit you each year like this, because I owe you that much for everything you did for me." Goku frowned in serious, yet sad expression as the winds blew behind him. After a few minutes of contemplating on all of the beautiful times he shared with his grandpa, he left the gravesite and went back to his house.

* * *

The night fell after several hours. Back in South City in the Pearl Hotel, Lucia was lying in her bed, still wearing her clothes as she wasn't really feeling like dressing up in her pajamas. Her eyelids were slowly getting heavy and Lucia slowly but surely fell into a deep slumber.

 _Within the dream realm, Lucia found herself standing in her human form on the surface of the water, surrounded by coral reefs in the background and blue sky. Much to her surprise, she found a large, orange orb floating and glowing in front of her and within the orb, there was a mermaid child resting within._

" _You. Are you the mermaid who will protect me, a mermaid princess named Lucia?" The little mermaid said curiously._

" _What? How do you know of me? Who are you?" Lucia asked curiously._

" _Who am i? Well I am…" The little mermaid smiled before she heard an eerie sound, scaring her as she knew what it meant. "Oh no! Don't! Stay away!"_

" _What's going on?! What's happening to you?!" Lucia exclaimed in worry as the unknown mermaid's orb was flashing, switching back and forth from orange to white. But the orange mermaid couldn't say anything as she started to scream in pain. Then everything in Lucia's eyes started to go blurry, her surroundings turning white before she found herself surrounded by mountains._

" _What the… where am i?! What's going on?!" Lucia exclaimed, starting to be a little frightened as she had no idea what in the world is happening right now. When she looked around, she noticed a familiar mountain valley and in front of her eyes, Goku was there, throwing furious punches and kicks in mid-air. Then Goku stopped as he was sweating profusely and breathing hard, a noticeable sign that he had an intense training session._

" _Goku!" Lucia smiled lovingly, her heart filled with joy to see him again._

 _But her joy was quickly replaced with worry as she noticed a shadowy figure sprinting in mid-air towards Goku. Then Goku sensed another sinister energy behind him. What he didn't count on that there was a third assailant from below, quickly delivering a hard punch to the gut. As he struggled to regain his composure, he was attacked again from behind. Then when he turned around, he was again attacked from behind._

" _Who are y…" Before Goku could finish that sentence, he was attacked rapidly from seemingly all directions by the three assailants. Lucia gasped loudly in shock and worry as Goku was being beaten senseless in mid-air. Then the intruders stopped attacking, with Goku having barely endured the pain and looked up at the very bulky, shadowy figure standing above him at the edge of the cliff. Goku slammed into a stone wall behind him, pinned in place after the combined assault._

" _Finish him." The bulky figure commanded as three intruders formed up and together they fired a combined energy blast straight towards Goku. Goku didn't had the time to counter the attack as the blast engulfed him, making him scream in agony as the mountainous stone pillar where he was pinned on started to collapse._

" _GOKU!" Lucia shouted in worry and shock as her beloved as seemingly defeated._

"Goku!" Lucia exclaimed as she quickly stood up, panting a bit as she started to calm down a bit, realizing that none of it was real, or so she thought.

"What a nightmare. Or was it? It felt so…real." Lucia said as she stared down on her bed. Then she sighed as she placed a hand on her face. "I think I'll go outside for a swim, that should calm me down a bit."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Lucia was sitting on a rock overlooking the open sea in her mermaid form. But moments later she noticed something glowing from the distance.

"Huh? What is that?" Lucia asked herself as she noticed a peculiar, glowing orb and a humming instrument what sounds like a flute playing from it. "No way! That's the same orb that appeared in my dream." She then looked down and frowned worryingly. _"Please don't tell me it doesn't have to do with that nightmare I had about Goku."_ She thought.

Much to Lucia's surprise, the orb started to move towards her, quickly closing the distance between the two and rose above her. The orb then started to glow brightly, taking shape of a person she had never seen before. The individual appeared be a man with long, greenish blue hair, wearing regal robe and golden bands and jewels on his arms, neck, forehead and ears and sporting four heavenly wings.

"I sensed a foreign presence lurking about, but I never would have expected to find a mermaid princess." The stranger said in a gentle voice.

"Who are you?" Lucia asked.

"My name is Michel and I am here to deliver justice to this world stained by those filthy humans." The stranger named Michel smiled before he closed his eyes. "Now, what do you say you join me in my crusade?"

"What? Join you?" Lucia said blankly before she frowned slightly. "And why would I do that? The way you mentioned the humans, it doesn't sound like I should." She said, making Michel chuckle a little.

"It doesn't really matter in a long run anyway. If you won't join me, then I will take your powers for myself." Michel smirked, spreading his four wings as they started to glow. But before either of them could execute their next course of action…

"Lucia!" Hanon and Rina suddenly appeared.

"Hanon! Rina! What are you two doing here?" Lucia asked in surprise.

"Strolling on your own at this hour in the open sea? Yeah, very suspicious." Rina frowned in frustration, making Lucia chuckle nervously as she scratched her cheek.

"Well well, two more mermaid princesses. I hope you two have more enlightenment than your friend to join my cause." Michel smiled. Everyone else would have been fooled to assume that this divine-looking being is an individual of pure good bearing no evil intentions whatsoever, but the three mermaids saw through his selfish façade the moment he mentioned 'filthy' humans and the notion of taking Lucia's powers for himself.

"Oh please. Whatever your cause is, we are not interested." Rina frowned seriously.

"It's very rude for you to threaten us like you did with Lucia." Hanon frowned too.

"Let's do it girls!" Lucia frowned in determination.

Then the three mermaids activated their pearls, signifying their transformation into their Idol Forms.

"Voice of the Pink Pearl!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Voice of the Blue Pearl!" Hanon exclaimed.

"Voice of the Green Pearl!" Rina exclaimed.

"Live for you, mermaid voice!" The three mermaid princesses said as they were singing a song in unison.

"All new challenges are waiting for me,  
The sea makes me all determined.  
I now close my eyes, for i know the pain  
of the incoming fall."

"I stand boldly, watching what awaits me  
now is not the time to hide.  
I raise my head high, i will give you all  
for that i promised."

"When something in the darkness is  
happening, happening, happening"

"That's only just the two of us  
you and me, you and me, you and me"

"Don't go now.  
Don't go now!"

"The days are all gracious  
for i want to share them with you.  
For one thing is certain  
that i will always want you."

"The morning is peaceful  
when i believe i have you.  
When everything is possible  
i recognize you, it's easy."

"For only wish is the strength of true love."

"Loving power of the mermaids!" The three mermaids pointed at their enemy in unison and delivered a finishing blow, but Michel merely huffed in annoyance.

"How about an encore?" The three mermaids said in unison.

After they were finished, Michel chuckled slightly, completely unaffected by their singing.

"Was that it? Sad to say, that was pathetic, considering that there are three mermaid princesses present and accounted for." Michel smirked with folded arms.

"What the… what happened?" Hanon said in shock.

"Our singing didn't had any effect on him at all, he shrugged our melody like it was nothing." Rina frowned seriously.

"Playtime is over. Since you three won't join me, I will take all of your powers!" Michel frowned slightly, spreading his wings and starting to glow again, this time extending towards the mermaids. But before it could reach them, Michel was inwardly struck by an intense wave of pain.

"Darn it. I must have used too much strength." Michel said in pain as he clenched his chest. Then he frowned in frustration as he looked at the mermaids. "When next we meet, mermaid princesses, you will not receive any leniency from me. I will make you suffer like that young man did." He said before he curled up and formed into a glowing orb again, disappearing into nothingness soon after.

"That was weird." Hanon said.

"Wait. What did he mean by young man?" Rina frowned slightly.

"You don't think he meant that young man to be Goku, did he?" Lucia said in low, trembling voice, mostly to herself as she had a flashback of that nightmare where Goku was beaten senseless by the three intruders.

"Lucia, calm down. Goku is too powerful to be taken down so easily." Rina frowned slightly as she placed her hand on Lucia's shoulder.

"Yeah, he's a tough nut to crack, that's for sure. I'm certain he's fine, so don't worry." Hanon smiled, also trying to calm her down.

"No! I must go there and see for myself, I can't stand this!" Lucia exclaimed as she shook her head in denial, quickly turning around and was about to leave.

"Hold it right there!" Rina shouted, prompting for Lucia to freeze in place.

"Rina?" Lucia frowned sadly as she turned her head around.

"Use your head. As much as I understand your concern for Goku's wellbeing, there's no way you'll be able to find him this late in the night." Rina frowned slightly.

"Yeah, and you look really tired. Why don't you get some sleep? After that, we will contact some of Goku's friends tomorrow and they can go and check on him." Hanon smiled in compassion to her worry. After a few moments of consideration, Lucia nodded silently.

"Let's go back to the hotel. I don't want to find out what else are we going to encounter tonight." Rina said as she departed.

"Right." Hanon nodded as she caught up with Rina, followed by Lucia behind the two mermaids.

* * *

The next day near noon, after being well fed and rested, Lucia, Hanon and Rina gathered in the living room to discuss their next course of action.

"So, anything?" Rina asked.

"Nothing. Tien doesn't have a phone to begin with and Yamcha is not at Bulma's place." Hanon said.

"Neither is Krillin at the old perv Roshi's place, but he said he'll call us when he gets there." Rina said.

Then the two mermaids heard the sound of the glass door sliding sideways. When they turned around, they noticed Lucia entering the backyard and jumping across the stone wall towards the beach. Not hesitating even a second, Hanon and Rina ran after her and quickly caught up with her.

"Lucia, wait up!" Rina called out.

"Where do you think you're going all alone?" Hanon asked. Lucia's back still faced the mermaids before she turned sideways.

"To find Goku." Lucia frowned slightly in determination.

"Lucia, Goku is way back home in Mount Paozu, how do you think you can reach him? There's no sea out there and its way too far for you to go there on foot." Rina frowned slightly.

"Who said I'll be going on foot? I'll just use Goku's Nimbus cloud and it can take me to his home." Lucia smiled.

"You can actually call Goku's cloud yourself?" Hanon asked curiously.

"Yeah, watch." Lucia smiled before she looked up in the sky. "FLYING NIMBUS!" She shouted. On cue, the signature yellow cloud landed from the sky near Lucia. Not hesitating even a second, Lucia hopped onto it.

"Take me to Goku's home in Mount Paozu. Let's go!" Lucia said as the cloud darted towards their destination, leaving perplexed Hanon and Rina behind.

"Huh. How about that?" Rina said.

"Man, I'm so jealous. Now I wish I was Goku's girlfriend at this point." Hanon pouted in frustration. If she didn't know her, Rina would thought she was serious about that statement, but she could clearly tell she said that as a passing thing.

"Even if you are, riding his cloud requires you to be pure of heart. And that is something you don't have." Rina smirked slightly.

"As if you fared any better, you fell through that thing the same as me." Hanon frowned slightly.

"Well, can't deny that. Come on, let's go back inside the hotel." Rina smiled as she casually walked back home, followed by Hanon.

* * *

Two hours later of flying at a speed that wouldn't blow Lucia away, the pink mermaid princess finally reached Goku's mountain valley.

" _Please let him be okay."_ Lucia thought, hopeful that her nightmare wasn't actually a vision of the future or something.

After a while, Lucia reached Goku's home, but Lucia already started to worry as Goku was nowhere in sight near his home. When she got close, she quickly jumped and landed gracefully near the doors.

"Goku! Goku!" Lucia called out as she went near the doors, starting to knock on it. "Goku, are you in here?! It's me, Lucia!" She said, but after a while, no one was answering the door. "Hmm. I guess he's not here." Then she turned around. "Well, I better check out the whole area, he must be around here somewhere." She frowned worryingly before she hopped back on the Nimbus cloud and flew in the sky.

As Lucia surveyed the area around Goku's home, thankfully she didn't notice any sign of destruction that would insinuate the nightmare she had. But that didn't ease her worries as she has to see for herself that Goku is perfectly fine, to prove to herself that the nightmare she had was just that, a nightmare. She searched far and wide for two hours, growing desperate as she struggled to catch even a glimpse of Goku. In mid-air he would have been easily noticed from a mile away, but from the ground, with all the jungles, the narrow passageways, the canyons, the waterfalls… she doesn't even know where Goku usually goes to train in this valley, feeling stupid that she forgot to ask him about it, it would make the search a lot easier.

"Where could he have gone? I don't see him anywhere." Lucia frowned worryingly as she searched below left and right to find him. But after she flew around the mountain, she gasped as she noticed a particular mountainous pillar that got unnaturally reduced to large boulders and rocks, as if an outside force shattered it, a sight that only made Lucia's worries grew.

"Oh no." Lucia said as a flashback of the explosion that caused the crumbling of the mountain pillar rushed in her mind, with Goku being caught in that explosion. Lucia quickly reached the site and she didn't like what she saw one bit. At any other time, Lucia would assume that Goku went overboard and shattered the entire mountain, which is an impressive feat in and of itself, but in this case, she knew she has to find him.

"Lucia!" A voice called out behind the mermaid. Lucia turned around to see…

"Krillin! Yamcha!" Lucia smiled brightly as the two martial artists flew and stopped near her. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Yeah, when we heard that Goku was gone and you were looking for him, we knew we had to come." Yamcha smiled.

"Wait, how in the world did you manage to call for Goku's Nimbus cloud?" Krillin asked curiously.

"Goku allowed me to call for it anytime I want." Lucia smiled before she frowned worryingly. "But nevermind that, can you two sense his energy? Is he buried in that rubble down there?"

"Buried? I know that Goku can overdo it sometimes, but I never knew him to…"

"Just do it Krillin!" Lucia exclaimed, frowning in frustration as she noticed that the two were obviously hesitant to do anything.

"Alright alright, chill out!" Krillin chuckled nervously before he immediately frowned seriously, along with Yamcha as they focused on Goku's power level.

"Well, one thing is for sure, Goku is not there among the rubble." Yamcha said.

"What a relief." Lucia sighed deeply before she looked at the two fighters. "If he's not here, then where could he be?"

"I have no idea. I can't sense his energy from any direction, at least not in this area." Yamcha frowned seriously as he looked left and right. Lucia frowned sadly and bowed her head down, inwardly hoping that Goku is not hurt.

"Hey, don't worry." Krillin smiled as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Look, why don't you go back to South City and let us take over from here? I promise when we find Goku, we will call for you first."

"You will?" Lucia said sadly.

"Yeah, don't sweat it. After a good beating he gave to Piccolo, I don't think anyone could have possibly hurt him. He's probably snoozing in a cave in someplace, we'll find him." Yamcha smiled to reassure the girl.

"Thank you guys." Lucia smiled sadly, grateful for their devotion to their friend. "I'll be going back then. See ya." She said before she flew back to South City on her Nimbus cloud.

"I don't get it. How could Goku just disappear like that?" Krillin said.

"I don't know Krillin. But from the looks of things, there was definitely a battle going on here, but I didn't want to say that in front of Lucia." Yamcha frowned seriously as he looked down below at the destroyed mountain pillar.

"Yeah, she would have freaked out if she were to find out Goku was injured or worse." Krillin frowned seriously too as he looked down at the site before he looked at Yamcha. "But let's not assume the worst just yet. Let's spread out, you search in one direction and I will search in the other. He can't be too far away from here if the battle indeed occurred."

"Right." Yamcha nodded as both he and Krillin flew in the opposite direction.

* * *

Later that day in the afternoon, after a lengthy search for their friend, Krillin and Yamcha returned empty handed to South City to report back to Lucia, Hanon and Rina in the backyard.

"So, did you find him?" Hanon asked.

"I'm afraid not. We couldn't find him anywhere, it's like the earth swallowed him." Krillin said.

"It's okay. Thanks for all you did, we appreciate it." Hanon smiled slightly.

"There's nothing to thank us for, we failed miserably." Krillin said, rubbing his head as he looked down on the ground in shame.

"But it doesn't mean we will give up the search. We'll continue looking for him and we will let you know when we find him." Yamcha smiled, reassuring the mermaids, more specifically Lucia.

"Thank you." Rina nodded with a smile. With that, Krillin and Yamcha flew away back home, while Lucia walked towards the stone wall overlooking the sea horizon.

"Lucia. Are you okay?" Hanon asked in slight worry, but Lucia didn't answer as her back still faced the two mermaids. Even though silence permeated between Lucia and her friends, Rina already guessed her intentions.

"Don't even think about looking for Goku all by yourself again." Rina frowned seriously.

"What? But Rina…"

"No buts Lucia. For all we know, that mysterious winged man could appear again to attack you." Rina pointed out, with Lucia having a flashback of the winged assailant from last night.

"Yes. We know for a fact that he's not our ally and the fact that our singing doesn't affect him in the slightest. For the time being, we must stay together and let Krillin and Yamcha take over from here to look for Goku." Hanon said. Even after that explanation, Hanon and Rina noticed hesitation in her worried expression, with the pink mermaid seeming to be all too eager to rush out and search for her beloved. As understandable as her concern may be, it's out of the question at this point.

"Promise us you won't go out there by yourself." Rina said in compassionate tone as she placed her hand on her shoulder reassuringly. After a few moments of silence, Lucia looked at her friend.

"I promise." Lucia nodded with a sad smile.

"Good." Rina nodded with a smile of her own, letting go of her shoulder.

* * *

Later at night, the night sky was filled with storm clouds and with it, heavy rain poured across South City and beyond, including the Pearl Hotel. In Lucia's room, the drops of rain could be heard falling on the roof window, the sound making Lucia slowly drift into a deep slumber, just like every time in the past.

 _However, when she finally fell asleep and her mind drifted in the dream realm again, she found herself in the sea in her mermaid form, surrounded by the ruins of what looks like a kingdom of a sort._

" _Where am I? What is this place?" Lucia asked herself as she checked the ruins around her. When she surveyed the area, she discovered something she wouldn't expect to find. A fountain with a giant seashell containing a large pearl resting within, with the waters flowing from the said seashell. A sacred seashell where every mermaid princess in the past was born, including Lucia herself. But what could it mean if she found something as sacred as that in these ruins? Was this a mermaid kingdom ravaged by Gaito's assault? Or was that winged person somehow responsible for this? So many questions filled her mind in those moments and currently she didn't had the answer for any of them._

" _Welcome Lucia." A familiar voice suddenly interrupted Lucia from her pondering on the situation. When she turned around, she found a former orange mermaid princess Sara in her corporeal form._

" _Sara! It's great to see you again, Sara." Lucia smiled cheerfully, but then she gasped and frowned sadly as she quickly approached Sara. "Sara, do you know where Goku is?! Is he okay?! Please tell me he's okay!"_

" _Lucia, calm down." Sara smiled as she placed both of her hands on her shoulders reassuringly. "Goku is alright. The sea is his ally, his heroic deeds are as such that the ocean would never claim his life. And aside from that fact, he's a mighty warrior that will not fall so easily by any assailant in the surface world." She then lowered her hands to her sides. "So lay your worries to rest, he will return to you in due time."_

" _Thank you Sara, I'm so relieved." Lucia smiled gratefully, clutching her chest in relief before she looked at Sara curiously. "But, what happened to you Sara? Why do you look like a deceased spirit?"_

" _I appreciate your concern Lucia, but I'm most certainly alive and well, much like Gaito." Sara smiled before she frowned seriously. "But, I'm afraid I have little time to say anything more then what needs to be said, so I want you to listen carefully Lucia. Do you remember the little mermaid that recently appeared to you?" She asked, with Lucia indeed having a flashback of the unknown orange mermaid that appeared in the past._

" _Yeah, I do. What of her?" Lucia asked curiously._

" _Hello Lucia." A familiar voice said, prompting the pink mermaid to turn around to find the little orange mermaid again. "Soon I'll meet everybody. I never thought that you could ever be so sad."_

" _Who are you? You were that mermaid I saw in my dream." Lucia asked._

" _This is Seira, a new mermaid princess of the Indian Ocean." Sara explained._

" _A new princess?" Lucia asked._

" _Yes. The child before you is indeed my heiress, soon to be born in this world. Right now, the energy from the life of the Indian Ocean has become this sphere and it's collected in the pool within the seashell. This glowing orb is merely a fragment of her heart, containing the love, friendship and power to believe that every young girl needs." Sara smiled before she frowned seriously. "However, there is a powerful force that recently formed in the seas. It is a transcendent power, but also a giant, unholy malice."_

" _ **Unholy malice? She doesn't mean that winged man Hanon, Rina and I encountered that night?"**_ _Lucia thought as she had a flashback of Michel and his attempt to steal their powers._

" _Right now, with my title and my powers casted aside, you lack the seventh mermaid princess to call upon Aqua Regina for assistance." Sara said in serious tone before she looked at the pink mermaid. "It is time Lucia. Place the orange pearl within the seashell, so Seira could be born in this world."_

" _Right." Lucia nodded before she swam towards the giant seashell, placing the pearl inside the pool of water contained in the shell. The miniscule pearl merged with the giant pearl contained in the shell, forming within the very mermaid Lucia saw in her dreams. But as the ritual is nearing it's completion, an unknown power appeared above the mermaids._

" _I thought that the mermaid's reactions were strong. It would appear that I will witness the birth of a new princess." The assailant said._

" _Michel!" Lucia frowned seriously._

" _Although I wouldn't honestly beat an eye of what happens to you mermaid princess, I am willing to offer you one more chance to join me in my crusade. Take my hand, so we can bring about a paradise of light!" Michel smiled as he extended his hand towards Lucia, but just like the last time, Lucia will not be fooled so easily._

" _Not a chance! I will never side with the likes of you!" Lucia shouted as she frowned angrily._

" _You would dare to defy me? Then you leave me no choice but to take your powers by force, starting with this child!" Michel shouted as he sprung his wings towards Seira._

" _Seira! Nooo!" Lucia cried out. But before she could do anything, it was already too late as Michel was absorbing Seira's spirit inside his body._

" _Yes. I can feel the power coursing through my veins, the power of the mermaid princess of the Indian Ocean merging with my own." Michel smiled in satisfaction with closed eyes as he finished absorbing Seira. Then he looked down at the orange pearl resting inside the giant seashell. "Now to finish the assimilation and take the rest of her power."_

" _Lucia, catch!" Sara suddenly cried out as she quickly grabbed the orange pearl and tossed it towards the pink mermaid._

" _Sara!" Lucia exclaimed in worry._

" _Quickly, there's no time! I will close the dream circuit, when I do, those wings won't be able to trap you here in this realm! Please Lucia, take care of Seira, save her!" Sara cried out desperately. Realizing there were no other options given the situation, Lucia nodded, clenching the orange pearl as she rushed towards the portal created by Sara, with the former orange mermaid princess disappearing from sight as soon as Lucia entered the portal._

* * *

When it was all said and done, Lucia finally awoke, her consciousness returning to the waking world, panting heavily but steadily slowing her breathing from quick paced to slow and deep breaths.

"It was all a dream." Lucia said. Then when she clenched her right fist, she opened her palm to find an orange pearl given to her by Sara herself. _"Or was it?"_ she thought.

"Lucia, are you okay?" Hanon suddenly asked, with Lucia not noticing that her friends were sitting beside her. "You've been sleeping for a while."

"Yeah, you've appeared as if you had a nightmare." Rina said.

"Don't worry girls, I'm alright." Lucia smiled gratefully before she frowned seriously as she looked at the orange pearl. "But…"

"But what Lucia?" Hanon asked curiously. Lucia continued to look at the orange pearl, contemplating whether she should place this burden on their shoulders too or keep this information to herself. But realizing that she wont be able to accomplish her endeavor without her friends, who have been with her since the very beginning of the skirmishes they had with the Dark Lovers, she decided to spill the beans and reveal the truth.

"I don't think it was a nightmare. Something happened in the Indian Ocean that you need to know." Lucia frowned slightly as she looked at her friends. Hanon and Rina looked at each other before they started to listen to Lucia carefully.

After a few minutes of explanation to the situation she was in before, Hanon and Rina pondered on the newfound information.

"I see. So it is up to us to save Seira from Michel's grasp and return to her what is rightfully hers." Rina frowned slightly.

"Yes. And also because we lack the seventh mermaid princess to call upon Aqua Regina, since Sara exiled herself from her own kingdom." Lucia frowned slightly. After a few moments of silence, Hanon and Rina glanced at each other.

"Well, I guess this means we will have to postpone our return to our homelands, right Rina?" Hanon smiled light-heartedly.

"Yaaay." Rina said in low, glum, sarcastic tone.

"What?" Lucia said in slight surprise.

"Yeah, Rina and I were planning to return home and help our people rebuild our kingdoms. But now it would seem we have another threat to deal with, together." Hanon smiled, with Rina nodding in agreement with a smile of her own. Then Hanon frowned in slight worry. "But also because we were worried about you and Goku."

"Hey, don't worry Hanon. I know that Goku is alive and well out there somewhere, I have faith that he will return to me sooner rather than later." Lucia smiled brightly. Hanon and Rina couldn't help but smile as well for seeing their friend this optimistic. Goku wasn't much better as he was also well known for his optimistic attitude and Lucia wasn't much different.

* * *

For a week Lucia waited for Goku's return, but as time passed, Lucia's worries grew day by day, though she would not dare show it to her friends Hanon and Rina. She meant what she said to her friends back then, but when even Krillin and Yamcha were unsuccessful in their search, who knows what could have happened to her beloved to make him disappear like that. If this was some kind of prank from his part, it's not funny, not even in the slightest, but that was the thought that Lucia dismissed from her mind almost immediately. True, he can be childish at times, but not to the point of needlessly make others worry about him. Alas, there was no use in worrying as boring school was waiting for her, with Hanon and Rina waiting in front of the hotel for her to come out.

Later that day at school, the three mermaids arrived in their classroom.

"Hey guys, we're here!" Lucia said cheerfully to her classmates.

"There you are Lucia!" A female classmate rushed in front of Lucia.

"Hmm? What's wrong, why are you so rattled?" Lucia asked curiously.

"He came back, Goku came back!" The girl exclaimed excitedly.

"What?!" This time Lucia, Hanon and Rina exclaimed in shock and surprise.

"Look, there he is, he's speaking with the other classmates!" The girl pointed at the group in the other side of the classroom.

The mermaids, especially Lucia couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was really Goku, alive and well, without even a scratch on him, still having that goofy, carefree expression on his face and a laugh that basically anyone would recognize.

"Goku." Lucia said in low tone as tears of joy formed in her eyes, her heart swelling in immeasurable relief and joy to see him again. "GOKUU!" Lucia shouted as she sprinted towards her beloved without a second thought, ramming into Goku's chest and hugging him tightly, while the other classmates merely smiled at this heartfelt reunion.

"You're okay, thank goodness you're okay, I'm so happy to see you again!" Lucia exclaimed as she hugged him tightly, burrowing her cheek on his chest. But then Goku did something that no one would expect in this situation. He actually grabbed her by her shoulders and gently pushed her away.

"Goku?" Lucia said in confused tone, her confusion increased when she saw Goku's face filled with same puzzled expression. "Is everything okay?"

"Umm… Who are you again?" Goku asked innocently as he pointed at Lucia.

These words came as a major shock to Lucia, simply couldn't believing her own ears, as did everyone else present in the classroom. It was as if the glass suddenly cracked and shattered from those words alone.

"Goku, are you out of your mind?!" Rina said angrily.

"Don't you think that's taking a joke too far?!" Hanon shouted angrily, sharing Rina's sympathy to that very blunt and emotionless question, but Goku said nothing as he looked at Hanon and Rina with a confused and innocent expression.

"Yeah, I guess it was, sorry." Goku laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. No one saw that answer coming as everyone in the classroom fell down on the ground in comedic fashion. Goku continued to laugh nervously, but Lucia would have none of his sass as she frowned furiously, having a tick mark on her forehead as she quickly conked Goku by the head.

"Ouch!" Goku shouted in pain as he held his head with both of his hands to endure the sudden punch. "Oww, that was totally uncalled for Lucia." He pouted childishly as he rubbed his head for the pain to subside.

"That wasn't funny Goku!" Lucia exclaimed angrily, but her anger quickly subsided and she frowned sadly. "I was so worried about you, I thought something bad happened to you." She said as she placed her hands on his chest.

"Hey, don't worry. Sorry I didn't tell you I was going to be held up longer than I thought." Goku smiled apologetically.

"You're so impossible." Lucia sighed, making Goku snicker childishly. Lucia couldn't help but smile brightly. In the end, there was no use in staying angry, Goku is back and kicking and that is all that matters to Lucia. Granted, she still has questions in need of answers, but for now she is more than content of seeing that adorable face of his and spend time together again.

"Hey Goku, who's the girl you brought along?" Kengo asked suddenly as he pointed at the girl standing at the entrance, not appearing to be a school student as she wasn't wearing the uniform. The other students started to whisper among each other as to who this girl might be. Even Lucia, Hanon and Rina wondered who could she be is she knew Goku.

"Oh, Mikaru. What are you doing there, come on in." Goku smiled as he gestured her to enter, with the girl now named Mikaru walking and stopping next to Goku. "This is Mikaru Amagi. She's a friend of mine that I met over the past week."

"It's nice to meet you all." Mikaru smiled as she bowed her head down in greetings. Hanon and Rina glanced at each other, mostly worried about Lucia's reaction to all this as they looked at their friend. Their assumptions proved to be correct as Lucia has a slightly worried expression in her face, fearing that Goku's emotions might start to shift from her to Mikaru, if it hasn't already.

Later after the class, Goku, Mikaru and the mermaid princesses went to the roof of the school building so Goku could tell them the details for his disappearance.

"Goku, why weren't you at Mount Paozu when I was looking for you? I thought you said you were going to be there until you come back to South City." Lucia pouted in slight frustration.

"Well, I was, but later on I was in the town where Mikaru was staying." Goku smiled.

"Why? Did something happened that forced you to leave your home?" Rina asked curiously, though already knowing the answer given the information she has from Lucia when she looked for him.

"Well, one day I really went overboard with my training and it happens that Mikaru found me unconscious on the ground. She nursed me back to health and in return I helped her recover as well, so she could see her brother in this city. That's why I was away for so long, I didn't want to leave her after helping me back there." Goku smiled.

"That's… actually understandable." Hanon smiled.

"Yup, that sounds just like Goku." Rina smiled, with Lucia nodding in agreement.

"In that case, it was for the best that you stayed for that long to help her out." Lucia smiled before she glanced at Mikaru. "It's nice to meet you too Mikaru, I hope you have a great time during your stay in South City."

"Thank you Lucia." Mikaru smiled.

"Well, what do you say I take you home? It will still take a while before you fully recover." Goku smiled as he placed his fist on his hips.

"Goku, I already told you I'm fine. I think I'm more than capable of staying here a little longer." Mikaru smiled.

"Sorry Mikaru, but your brother told me to bring you back home as soon as possible. Trust me, it's for the best." Goku smiled apologetically.

"Alright then. If you say so Goku." Mikaru smiled before her front faced Goku. "But can you fly me back home? I want to see how South City looks like from the skies."

"Sure, no problem." Goku said lightheartedly as he scooped up Mikaru bridal style, inwardly shocking Lucia and to a lesser degree Hanon and Rina. "Well, I'm off. See ya later." Goku smiled before he started to hover in the air and flew away from the mermaids.

Lucia clenched her chest worryingly, frowning sadly as she watched her beloved Goku casually carrying Mikaru in his hands as if she was his girlfriend and not her.

"Lucia? Are you okay?" Hanon asked worryingly.

"Of course I am." Lucia said before she turned towards her friends with a smile on her face. "My Goku is back and that's all that matters. I'll have more than enough catching up to do with Goku after school."

"That's good to hear. So, shall we return to the class?" Rina smiled as she went for the doors leading downstairs.

"No, you girls go ahead. I think I'll stay here for a little longer." Lucia smiled as she turned towards the horizon. The moment she said that did Hanon and Rina look at each other in almost immediate understanding to the situation at hand. Even though Lucia would never say it out loud as to not worry her friends, Hanon and Rina were fully aware that Lucia was not fine with this out of the blue arrangement. They knew Lucia was hurt inwardly at the very sight of Goku and Mikaru together, especially when they flew away, knowing how sensitive she can be when it comes to anything related to Goku. But they knew better than to add insult to injury, so they decided to humor her, at least this time.

"Alright then. See ya in the classroom." Hanon smiled before she went downstairs, followed by Rina as she closed the door behind her.

When they left, the smile on Lucia's face was replaced with a worried expression, frowning sadly as she looked in the direction where Goku flew away.

"Goku." Lucia said. She was indeed glad to see him alive and well, that her visions were merely some kind of nightmare, or at least she hoped so, but this whole situation with Mikaru changes things drastically. And it appeared as if the two of them have already gotten quite close over the week and that is where Lucia's fears are starting to form in her heart, a fear that Goku's feelings will transfer to Mikaru instead. But she can't let those thoughts consume her mind, it's too early to even think of something like that. For now, she returned to her optimistic thoughts as smile returned to her face. Goku is back home and like she said to her friends, she intends to spend every minute of free time being together with her beloved.

* * *

 **A/N: Wait, what's happening here? Goku's memories were not wiped, he did not forgot about Lucia and the other mermaids? Of course not! In season 2 of episode 6 when i saw that happening, i was so pissed off. After literally the entirety of season 1 for Kaito to finally figure out that Lucia's human and mermaid forms are one and the same, Lucia has to go through almost the same shit in season 2 to make Kaito remember who she was to him. Ugh, i hated that so much! Besides, i kinda already did that in previous chapters, so it would be kinda stupid for me to do that again. So i went the different way where it was a really missed opportunity, a love triangle between the three, in this story Goku, Lucia and Mikaru. How will things turn out from this point on with Goku's memories well intact? That remains to be seen in future chapters.**

 **-Haseo55 Nah, i merely put it on pause, it's only a matter of time before i finish the story :)**

 **-SaiyanMiqote Haha, thank you :)**

 **-Super heavy weapons guys thanks :)**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and i'll see you in the next one :)**


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